
Toolbox
Getting through these conversations can be tough. Here are some ideas to navigate opening the discussion and keeping it on track
Introduction
I'm trying something new where I respond to people's facebook posts via direct message rather than comment. I wanted to share my thoughts to your post about ________. This is part of a social media campaign called Project THUMPER aimed to slow divisive rhetoric by promoting 1:1 conversation. (Check out www.projectthumper.com for info.) Are you open to this?
Response to a Long Message
It’s clear you are really passionate about this and there is a lot to discuss. How did you start getting interested in this topic? For me, what’s most important is _____.
Discussion Getting Too Broad
You bring up a lot of important issues and I'm not sure we can get into all of them right now! I'd love to make progress on what we were discussing or perhaps we've hit a wall and that's ok. I really appreciate you taking time to connect.
Addressing a Separate Divisive Issue
I'm not sure its productive to get into a full discussion about _______, but I appreciate your passion and multifaceted approach.
Make it Personal Because You Care
Why is that important to you?
Close
I'm glad we started this conversation. If you feel like this was productive I hope you continue this with others. Please check out www.projectthumper.com