Kindness
Conversation Guide
Interested in using this conversation guide? Click here to tell us about it!
We’re happy to help! If you find this guide valuable, please consider making a donation of $5 to help us continue offering free resources.
Kindness is simple, powerful, and contagious. It pushes us past niceties toward a sense of belonging and has the potential to heal and strengthen our communities in all their diversity and needs. There are kindness initiatives around the world– celebrations and invitations to notice those around you and extend kindness through words, random acts, or respect. It truly is such an important concept that people are willing to dedicate their lives to continuing kindness and creating it. This conversation will explore your experiences giving and receiving kindness and discuss together what your home, community, or society could become if kindness was abundant.
Let's Get Started!
Living Room Conversations offers a simple, sociable and structured way to practice communicating across differences while building understanding and relationships. Typically, 4-6 people meet in person or by video call for about 90 minutes to listen to and be heard by others on one of our nearly 100 topics. Rather than debating or convincing others, we take turns talking to share, learn, and be curious. No preparation is required, though background links with balanced views are available on some topic pages online. Anyone can host using these italicized instructions. Hosts also participate.
Introductions:
Why We're Here (~10 min)
Each participant has 1 minute to introduce themselves.
Share your name, where you live, what drew you here, and if this is your first conversation.
Conversation Agreements:
How We'll Engage (~5 min)
These will set the tone of our conversation; participants may volunteer to take turns reading them aloud. (Click here for the full conversation agreements.)
- Be curious and listen to understand.
- Show respect and suspend judgment.
- Note any common ground as well as any differences.
- Be authentic and welcome that from others.
- Be purposeful and to the point.
- Own and guide the conversation.
Question Rounds:
What We’ll Talk About
Optional: a participant can keep track of time and gently let people know when their time has elapsed.
Round 1:
Getting to Know Each Other (~10 min)
Each participant can take 1-2 minutes to answer one of these questions:
- What are your hopes and concerns for your family, community and/or the country?
- What would your best friend say about who you are?
- What sense of purpose / mission / duty guides you in your life?
Round 2:
Kindness (~40 min)
One participant can volunteer to read the paragraph at the top of the web page.
Take ~2 minutes each to answer a question below without interruption or crosstalk. After everyone has answered, the group may take a few minutes for clarifying or follow up questions/responses. Continue exploring additional questions as time allows..
- What does kindness look and feel like for you? What does kindness include? What does it not include?
- Share a time you experienced kindness. How did you recognize it? What impact did it have on you?
- Where do you see people struggle to implement kindness? What gets in your own way of extending kindness?
- Where have you witnessed kindness in your community? Where do you see a need for greater kindness?
- How can we build up the value of kindness in our daily lives? How about in our communities?
Round 3:
Reflecting on the Conversation (~15 min)
Take 2 minutes to answer one of the following questions:
- What was most meaningful / valuable to you in this Living Room Conversation?
- What learning, new understanding or common ground was found on the topic?
- How has this conversation changed your perception of anyone in this group?
- Is there a next step you would like to take based upon the conversation?
