Break Out of Your Bubble: Talk to a Stranger

03/16/23 • 27 min

Most of us live comfortably in our bubbles, interacting with people who think and often look like us. We may sift out others who don’t fit our mold.

A long pandemic hasn’t helped: Covid has made many people wary of being around strangers, let alone talking to them. If you live in a city you operate by invisible rules where you pay just enough attention to a stranger, allowing each of you the space to carry on politely...and distantly. But our guest on this episode says taking the time to talk to people you don’t know can bring unexpected pleasures, and lead to more openness and tolerance.

Kio Stark is a qualitative researcher and the author of the book When Strangers Meet. She says when you engage with another person in a store, on a park bench, in line at the DMV, you are getting a peek into someone else’s world and entering into a shared humanity. You’re forging a connection that may help you see the world from another person’s perspective.

As Kio says, “a conversation with a stranger can open up your idea of who you think of as part of the society in which you live.”

Hear more on the latest episode of Let’s Find Common Ground.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we’ll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

Most of us live comfortably in our bubbles, interacting with people who think and often look like us. We may sift out others who don’t fit our mold.

As Kio says, “a conversation with a stranger can open up your idea of who you think of as part of the society in which you live.”

Hear more on the latest episode of Let’s Find Common Ground.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we’ll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

Previous Episode

Mass Shootings and Guns: Seeking Common Ground: Patrik Jonsson and Ryan Busse

In the first eight weeks of this year, America’s epidemic of mass shootings and gun crimes showed no signs of reprieve. In fact, the crisis may be getting much worse. According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group that tracks firearms violence in the U.S., there have been at least 90 mass shootings since January 1.

We take a close look at gun violence and the search for common ground. We learn why so many Americans love guns and say they need them for self-defense. We also hear about differences in regional attitudes to guns, and what happens to communities that witness mass shootings.

Our guests are journalist Patrick Jonsson and gun safety advocate Ryan Busse, author of “Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America”.

Patrik Jonsson is the Atlanta-based correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor. He writes about The South, gun rights, race, extremist groups, natural disasters, and hockey. Ryan Busse grew up around guns — hunting and shooting with his father and had a long and successful executive career in the gun industry. Despite being a strong critic of the NRA, he's still a proud gun owner, hunter, and outdoorsman who lives in Montana.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed, we’ll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

Next Episode

Conversation with Stavros Lambrinidis, European Union Ambassador to the U.S.

CPF Executive Director Kamy Akhavan joins Stavros Lambrinidis, European Union Ambassador to the U.S., for a conversation on the history and current status of the European Union and United States relationship. They discuss EU support for Ukraine, the latest on the post-Brexit Windsor Framework, important human rights issues, and advice for young people who want to get involved in public service.

Stavros Lambrinidis: European Union Ambassador to the United States
Kamy Akhavan: Executive Director, Center for the Political Future
Alison Dundes Renteln: USC Professor of Political Science, Anthropology, Public Policy and Law