How can one have a productive conversation across the political spectrum?
We offer simple, memorable guidance: Be SVL (pronounced like “civil”). SVL stands for sharing Stories, relating to a conversation partner’s Values, and closely Listening.
This is a core message of Let’s Be SVL, a new initiative starting this fall at Vanderbilt University, with the goal to expand to many campuses—and beyond.
The SVL (Stories, Values, Listen) approach aims to supplement reliance on lengthy dialogue workshops that average Americans do not have the time to attend, while simultaneously offering a simple mnemonic that cuts through the difficult-to-digest, overwhelming, and sometimes contradictory cacophony of dialogue guidance currently provided.
Perfect—in the form of comprehensive lesson(s) or dozen-page toolkits—can definitely be the enemy of the good. Clearly, no three steps for having a conversation across perspectives will be fully complete. But in the modern attention economy, dialogue educators must focus less on being perfect and instead embrace “stop, drop, and roll” messaging like SVL, which can actually reach and impact millions of Americans.
The need for memorable and repeatable guidance
More than 500 organizations offer workshops, consulting, or digital resources for having productive cross-partisan conversations, or at least for creating the opportunities to have these interactions. (Full disclosure: Our organization, More Like US, is part of this group.)
And while these efforts are certainly worthwhile, they can also overwhelm many members of the American public. It is challenging to navigate the information provided by so many groups, each with their own training models and types of advice.
If dialogue facilitators truly want to help Americans start talking politics more constructively, it is vital that they simply repeat a phrase about how to have conversations. No memory trick will be perfect, but it is vastly better than absorbing no guidance at all.
We believe these messages should be about the importance of Stories and Values and the need to Listen; namely, being SVL.
The SVL (Stories, Values, Listen) approach
Stanford sociologist and political divides expert Dr. Robb Willer first introduced the ideas behind the SVL framework. James Coan, co-founder and executive director of More Like US and co-author of this article, then used Dr. Willer’s ideas to develop SVL.
The SVL framework provides people with a simple set of tools to talk about politics. Just as every kid learns to “stop, drop, and roll” if they are on fire, when people enter the heat of a conversation across the political spectrum, they should know right away to share Stories, relate to their conversation partner’s Values, and closely Listen.
First, tell STORIES rather than drowning others with facts. While facts and evidence can be persuasive rhetorical tools, in an age of mass misinformation and disagreement over reputable sources, relying on facts in political discussions is a dubious strategy. After all, in the words of NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, “The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor.” By focusing on stories, we can more effectively communicate what matters to us and create interpersonal connections, simultaneously avoiding arguments over the validity of data points. Moreover, storytelling catalyzes interpersonal understanding by enabling us to see how others’ experiences have driven them to their conclusions.
Second, relate to the VALUES others care about. By making arguments that resonate with our conversation partner, rather than arguments that only make sense to us, we can both respect others’ deep-seated beliefs and more effectively appeal to their perspective. Additionally, intentionally reframing how we justify our views to center on others’ values enables us to try to overcome the “moral empathy gap,” which refers to the difficulty of understanding the moral rationale and convictions of others. Without relating to the values that undergird others’ worldviews, it is incredibly difficult to cultivate effective cross-partisan communication and understanding.
Lastly, closely LISTEN to what others have to say. Conversations without listening are just a series of one-sided speeches that fail to convey information or change perspectives. Listening closely to others not only enhances our open-mindedness but develops mutual understanding among conversation partners, replacing our perceived political opponents with real people we can empathize with. And above all, listening helps us tell stories that better resonate with our conversation partners and deepen our understanding of the values they hold.
Why SVL is important to the future of the U.S.
Americans have two main ways to learn about those who vote differently than them or identify with another political party: what they see and hear about others from the information environment, and via personal interactions. At a micro level, if Americans lack the confidence to engage in cross-partisan dialogue, they can only develop ideas about others through the information environment, which perversely incentivizes divisive political content. As a result, the public will only have an increasingly distorted picture of those across the partisan spectrum.
At a more macro level, in our representative system of government, being able to talk to and solve problems with people who may have different perspectives is not just a good skill to have—it is a necessary one. If leaders cannot talk about politics, our very system of government can no longer make decisions effectively, and the productivity of our democratic institutions can experience a sharp decline.
With most Americans not having the time, interest, energy, or confidence to attend the hours-long workshops offered by groups like Braver Angels and Living Room Conversations, SVL offers dialogue practitioners a tool for making an impact at scale.
Rather than a lengthy toolkit, an hours-long presentation or workshop, or a cacophony of advice, SVL can be distributed en masse, for instance via flyers and social media posts. It can be repeated publicly by prominent leaders such as those in the nonprofit, philanthropy, education, journalism, and government sectors. And it has the power to be shared with everyone, from students to religious congregations to internet influencers. Together, these benefits make scaling dialogue education to millions of Americans possible.
A call for “SVLity” is not a call for silence
When people hear the word “civil,” they often conflate it with the idea of politeness, in other words, avoiding difficult topics in order to keep the social peace. And while being SVL encourages civil conversation, that does not mean it discourages disagreement, activism, or strong emotions about politics.
The SVL framework is designed to provide a strategy for handling disagreement and interpersonal interaction. Political dialogue about tough issues requires using Stories rather than mountains of data, trying to explain one’s point of view using the Values held by a conversation partner, and Listening closely.
In fact, people can—and should be—activists who advocate for the positions they care about, while also having a willingness to engage one-on-one with others using Stories, compatible Values, and a willingness to Listen.
Finally, SVLity does not mean that people should not have strong emotions about political issues. But when cross-partisan conversations arise, they should be able to settle themselves enough to engage in ways aligned with SVL.
How SVL is being deployed
In fact, this vision is already becoming a reality at Vanderbilt University’s campus, where a grant from the Riley’s Way Foundation is powering the “Let’s Be SVL” project. In conjunction with Dialogue Vanderbilt and More Like US, Let’s Be SVL uses a combination of mass marketing, peer-led discussions, and digital resources to teach these three basic conversation skills across campus.
The project aims to serve as a pilot model for institutions of higher education around the country, ultimately seeking to ensure all college students graduate with a memorable framework for having productive, civil political conversations. Let’s Be SVL also provides an opportunity to develop content and approaches that can then be modified for audiences beyond college campuses.
Conclusion
For Americans to productively talk about politics, it is necessary to broadcast a simple and repeatable message to coworkers, friends, and family: Be SVL. By sharing Stories, relating to others’ Values, and aiming to closely Listen to each other, we can strengthen our individual relationships, society, and government.
James Coan is the co-founder and executive director of More Like US. Coan can be contacted at James@morelikeus.org
Jason Vadnos is a rising junior at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, double majoring in Culture, Advocacy, & Leadership and Human & Organizational Development with a minor in Business.
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