Throughout her career as a journalist, Mónica Guzmán found it crucial that people understood one another.

So, she wrote. Ferociously. 

At some point, she came to realize that the political divide plaguing our country became too great, and trust had been broken down so much, that simply sharing stories was no longer enough.

Guzmán ramped up her efforts and now travels the country as a renowned author, journalist, podcast host and bridge builder. She identifies herself as a proud liberal daughter of conservative parents. Her award-winning book, I Never Thought of it That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times has been featured in The New York Times, Readers Digest, The Atlantic and was required reading for incoming freshman at Stanford Law School. CBS Mornings has recommended it as a book to read before the 2024 election. It is touted as a personal guide to communicating with curiosity, learning from personal interactions and finding common ground with those who have differing political views.

Guzmán’s efforts brought her to Delta College on April 4 in partnership with Dow, the Midland County Inclusion Alliance and the Delta College President’s Speaker Series. She reminds us that we all make assumptions about what others are thinking or feeling, but she shares that it is important to realize assumptions are answers to questions we did not ask. We build bridges by asking questions. Not with a goal to change them, but to listen and understand.

“We don’t choose our own opinions,” reminds Guzmán. “They are the result of our experiences.” She recommends starting by asking yourself how you came to believe what you believe and diversify the content you consume. In a world of fake news, biased reporting and algorithms, it can be difficult to identify reliable sources. Guzmán recommends The Flip Side, a free daily email that shares the most thoughtful points from both sides of important issues. When she reads these points of view,
she often finds herself thinking, “Hmm. I never thought of it that way.”

“We are all dead wrong about something. We just don’t know what it is,” says Guzmán. “If everyone adopted principles of having curious conversations rather than arguments driven by fear, hate or assumptions, there would be much more humility. It would be a world where we actually celebrate being wrong. Where people let go of the need to be right all the time.”