Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025

Time: 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: Reading Public Library (64 Middlesex Ave)

From the Reading Public Library website:

Why do people on the other side of the political aisle think that way? How do we better understand core values of those with different beliefs? Where can we find common ground? Braver Angels can help!

In this polarized time, we lack basic understanding of why people on the other political side hold their beliefs. We don’t see them as they see themselves–their core values and central concerns–but instead as we choose to see them. We are tempted to regard our own side as principled and the other side as self-interested.

When we try to communicate across this gap, we often lack the skills for listening carefully, looking for common ground, and sharing our perspectives in ways that connect rather than create more misunderstanding.

We can learn to disagree better in polarized times, which means accurately seeing where we differ and where we share common ground.

Goals

• More understanding of the values and concerns of people who differ from you politically

• Better skills for listening in a way so that the other person feels heard

• Better skills for sharing viewpoints in a way the other person might hear — even if they disagree

Presented in partnership with Braver Angels.

Launched in 2016, Braver Angels is a bipartisan citizen’s movement to unify our divided nation. By bringing Red and Blue Americans together into a working alliance, Braver Angels is building new ways to talk to one another, participate together in public life, and influence the direction of the nation. Braver Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit recognized by the IRS.