5 ways to find common ground during the holidays

5 ways to find common ground during the holidays Politics Nov 24, 2025 8:55 AM EST

I set out almost three years ago to travel the country and talk with as many ordinary Americans as possible to understand why we’re so deeply divided.

This year, the “America at a Crossroads” team and I focused on communities where people are trying to bridge those differences.

This holiday season is a good moment to share some of the techniques we’ve heard about.

If a tough conversation emerges before dinner is even served, perhaps these are lessons you’ll want to try yourself.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of them. We boiled it down to five tips.

1. Act, don’t react

There’s plenty to be angry about. But David Lapp, the co-founder of the national bridging group Braver Angels, says we need to