When political talk triggers your nervous system, Chapter 15 of *A Practical EmPath* offers a step-by-step protocol to separate facts from stories and route toward connection.
The story
When politics gets loud, my brain drops frames,
My chest gets tight, the room turns to heat
I want to win, to pin the blame on names,
Then empathy asks, “Can we take a seat”
Political disagreement is not just “opinions.” It is nervous systems colliding, plus a side of identity threat. In workplaces, community meetings, and family dinners, that combo spikes reactivity and tanks bandwidth for listening. Want less polarization and more usable dialogue?
Chapter 15 of Scott Howard Swain’s *A Practical EmPath: Rewire Your Mind* offers a problem-solution refactor: practical empathy for differing political ideas and actions, without endorsing any ideology. Swain treats politics like a high-latency network problem: reduce noise, increase signal, then route toward connection.
The toolkit is weirdly actionable:
1] *Objective observation*: separate what was said or done from your judgment about it. Facts first, story second.
2] Name *feelings* the moment politics pokes your buttons, richer vocabulary, cleaner output.
3] Identify the *values* underneath, values function like needs here, so you can moral-reframe toward common ground.
4] Make a *positive, doable request*: “Would you share what values matter most to you here?”
Can you imagine a debate where the goal is understanding, not domination-culture point scoring?
If you want the full walkthrough, Chapter 15 is the map. There’s also a 14-minute talk demonstrating the chapter in real scenarios, including family debates, at clearsay.net.
