In previous posts, I discussed the origin and essence of liberal and conservative beliefs, focusing on the emotions that are the source of our political opinions. I offered a framework for understanding why we continue to disagree, not only about politics, but in other areas of life—in religion, about how to raise our children, and in every organization and institution. Ralph Waldo Emerson called this "the primal antagonism" of human social and political life.

Now I would like to turn to a more practical problem. How can we understand each other, engage in constructive discussions, and, perhaps, find common ground? In a series of posts, I will discuss eight principles of dialogue and reasoned argument—attitudes and practices that make political conversations more successful, in both our personal and our civic lives.

Constructive discussion of any important disagreement is based on a simple premise: We need to listen to each other. All the principles and recommendations I will discuss have a common goal—to improve the quality of our listening when talking with people who have different values and opinions on issues that matter to us.

But listening is difficult, especially in........

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