Why you should talk to strangers w/ Fin Colleton and Kratima Divakar

Growing up, most of us learned one simple rule: don't talk to strangers.

But American Dialogues is betting on the opposite.

In New York City parks, the group's organizers set out folding chairs and invite anybody passing by to sit down and talk about politics, culture, and everyday life. The goal is to get strangers to speak honestly and keep listening when the conversation becomes difficult.

Joining us to discuss how American Dialogues began, what happens when strangers disagree, and whether these conversations can help bridge America's divides are:

• Fin Colleton, student fellow at Columbia University's Trust Collaboratory and the creator of the public conversation tables that grew into American Dialogues

• Kratima Divakar, graduate student at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs and a Trust Collaboratory student fellow who leads American Dialogues' outreach

Check out more about American Dialogues' work at americandialogues.org or @americandialogues on Instagram.

Preorder Nico's book and fill out the form for a free tshirt here.

Timestamps:

00:00 Preorder Nico's book and get a free tshirt!

01:55 Intro

03:36 Fin's first experiment with talking to strangers

05:54 Kratima's introduction to Listening Tables

07:32 Bringing American Dialogues to New York City

10:43 Conversations across political divides

14:32 How do they handle disruptive participants?

19:52 The purpose of American Dialogues

28:16 Why New York City is the perfect venue

32:07 Online versus face-to-face conversations

33:56 Expanding American Dialogues

37:34 Outro

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