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A Collaborative Effort

At Humane Discourse, we believe that better conversations create stronger communities. Our interactive workshops at Stony Brook University empower students, faculty, and staff with practical tools to engage in meaningful, respectful dialogue—even on the most complex and polarizing issues.

Ready to engage? Join us!

"Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you."

- L.R. Knost

Our Philosophy

We do not ask participants to change their minds, we simply expect everyone to be curious; if you learn something new, perhaps your perspective may shift. Above all, we attempt to center care---the fabric that holds society together.

Key Terms

Activated

In physically dangerous scenarios, it is necessary to have a flood of adrenaline. In our modern age, we are rarely in the life-threatening situations our ancestors found themselves in---but this doesn't prevent our body from flooding us with adrenaline when we feel we are emotionally under attack.

When activated, meaningful engagement is extremely difficult. Conversely, healthy conversation is inherently settling.

Curiosity

True curiosity requires prioritizing learning over being right. Instead of clinging to existing beliefs, curiosity requires embracing uncertainty and seeking evidence that challenges assumptions.

Essential Questions Model

Essential questions are open-ended, thought-provoking questions that encourage learners to engage with material on a conceptual level.

Characteristics of Essential Questions:

Spark curiosity and invite ongoing exploration.
Center universal themes.
Do not have a single, definitive answer.

Examples of Essential Questions:

Why do we need beliefs and values?
Can conflict lead to change?
What are the limits, if any, of freedom of speech?

Expanding "We"

Instead of defining "we" in us vs. them terms (my family, my community, my political group), we ask participants to widen their circle of belonging to include people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Hidden Curriculum

Underlying structures within institutions shape who is heard, who belongs, and who is excluded. Institutions implicitly teach who holds power and who is expected to conform.

The hidden curriculum in institutions is often unspoken but can perpetuate social inequality by normalizing gender roles, racial hierarchies, and economic disparities.

Ideologies

To understand our impossibly complex world, individuals need a mental framework that structures and interprets political events and social issues. Ideologies do this; they satisfy psychological needs, maintaining a sense of stability.

Meaningful Listening

Meaningful listening has three key aspects:

1. Respect

The acknowledgment to oneself that the person you are talking to might have something to contribute, regardless of their social position. Showing respect is not a passive exercise. Depending on the context, it may require the listener to offer their thoughts or take action to uplift others effectively.

2. Comfort With Ambiguity

Taking ideas seriously is not the same as agreeing to them. This moment of grappling is a moment of ambiguity: “I might change how I’m thinking about something because of what I heard, but I do not yet know.”

3. Commitment to a Continuing Dialogue

Allowing for that moment of ambiguity is a commitment to the challenge of ongoing dialogue. It is unlikely that divergent ideas will be resolved in a single conversation. It requires time for reflection, time to process the ideas that were shared. Follow-up communication is almost always needed.

Not-Learning

Not-learning is an active, often rational decision rather than an inability to comprehend material. Students, especially those from marginalized communities, may consciously and unconsciously resist learning in response to oppressive or alienating educational environments.

We believe in demonstrating respect for students’ experiences and fostering a sense of agency, enabling students to engage.

Questions Educators Should Ask Themselves:

Are students disengaged because they lack ability, or because they find the curriculum alienating?
How can we create learning environments that invite participation rather than impose conformity?
What does it mean to teach in a way that respects students’ agency and lived experiences?

Owning Impact

Many people judge their actions based on intentions, but we ask participants to focus on impact—the real-world effect of those actions on others. Yelling, for example, activates everyone in the room and shuts down meaningful dialogue.

Stereotypes

A stereotype is a fixed, generalized belief about a particular group of people, often based on oversimplified or exaggerated characteristics. Stereotypes can be positive, negative, or neutral, but they typically fail to capture the full complexity of individual experiences within a group.

The Arc of Dialogue

The Arc of Dialogue offers a framework for designing dialogue experiences that create a safe space, a sense of trust, and a willingness to take risks and encourage people to be open to learning and listening.

Phases of Dialogue:

Build Community.
Share Personal Experience.
Explore the Experience of Others.
Synthesize and Bring Closure.

Values

A value is a way of being or believing that we hold most important.

Characteristics of Values:

They drive decision-making and motivate action.
They become infused with emotion when activated.
They hold true no matter the context.
They become subconscious criteria for any/all judgements: evaluating people, events, policies, etc.
They can be seen as a secret code for understanding differences between people.