Ken Cloke: 50 Questions for Political Arguments

In a post called “Questions that Connect Us,” I spoke of Ken Cloke, one of the leading experts in conflict resolution. Ken reminds us that we often fan the flames of conflict, polarize conversations, and take positions that only work to push us farther apart. As we look forward to voting this week, I wanted to share this treasure trove of Ken’s questions to ask in a political argument. I printed out the list and carry it with me. The questions also work on any argument with teens! Here are a few to get you started.

3.             What do you think your beliefs might be if you had been born into a different family, religion, race, gender, class, or time?

6.             Do you see any gray areas in the issue we are discussing, or ideas you find it difficult to define?

8.              Is there any part of this issue that you are not 100% certain of or would be willing to discuss and talk about?

20. What facts, if proven to be true, might cause you to think differently?

This week, try using some of these questions when engaging in political or polarizing conversations and see what happens!

Read Ken’s full list here.