Welcome to Braver Seminars, the newest addition to Braver U!

Braver Angels will bring together a small group of individuals across the political spectrum for this in-person seminar consisting of three 90-minute sessions over the course of three weeks. This seminar is being held in NYC.

Session I: November 8th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm ET
Session II: November 15th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm ET
Session III: November 29th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm ET

*This seminar skips the week of Thanksgiving

To straw-man is to caricature, misinterpret, and misrepresent an argument making it easier to tear down. To steel-man is to engage with the best and most charitable version of an argument.

Steel-manning is far too rare, however. This is in part because we aren’t merely straw-manning each other’s arguments, but also each other.

That’s where star-manning comes in.

To star-man is to not only engage with the strongest and most charitable version of your opponent’s argument, but also with the strongest and most charitable version of your opponent, by locating and explicitly acknowledging the fundamental human values undergirding their perspectives, motivating their ideas, and informing their opinions—values that we all share.

In this three-part course, you'll develop tools for being mindful and measured in difficult conversations, and learn the key strategy for a more constructive engagement with your political or ideological opponents: An explicit recognition of not only our opponent’s arguments but their humanity.

Angel Eduardo is a writer, musician, and visual artist based in New York City. He is Senior Writer & Editor for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR). Visit him at angeleduardo.com.

How to Star-Man: Arguing from Compassion