Dialogue Killers Revealed: Beat Ad Hominem & Proxies to Reclaim Civil Political Talk

In this edition, host Corey Nathan dives into two behaviors that shut down meaningful dialogue before it even starts: ad hominem attacks and treating individuals as proxies for groups. Drawing from real-life interactions and candid personal stories, Corey illustrates why civil discourse matters now more than ever.

What Is Discussed:

• Why personal attacks destroy productive dialogue

• How assuming people represent an entire group harms mutual understanding

• Strategies for better conversations: passive, defensive, and proactive

• Why labels and assumptions often miss the mark

• The power of treating others as individuals with unique stories

Episode Highlights:

• 1:00 – Defining the two dialogue killers: ad hominem and proxy labeling

• 2:00 – A local mayor faces national-level hostility in small-town politics

• 4:00 – A neighborly disagreement about family farms shows how it can be done right

• 5:00 – Corey’s impassioned reaction to toxic comments and attacks

• 10:00 – When people are reduced to stand-ins for political ideologies

• 14:00 – Facebook comments spiral as users resort to vilifying each other

• 19:00 – Setting realistic expectations when engaging across divides

• 27:00 – “I will not defend positions I don’t hold”—drawing healthy boundaries

• 30:00 – Lessons from the fight for marriage equality: changing hearts through human connection

• 33:00 – Passive, defensive, and proactive strategies to communicate better

Featured Quotes:

• “People are people—not proxies...”

• “I will not defend positions that I don’t hold.”

• “You’re not talking to ‘them,’ you’re talking to me.”

• “Go talk some politics and religion with gentleness and respect.”

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