The Constructive Dialogue Institute was founded in 2017 by Jonathan Haidt and Caroline Mehl in response to the rising division and distrust threatening to tear America apart. Its mission is to equip the next generation of Americans with the skills to bridge divides. This work helps institutions create environments where individuals can bridge divides and work together effectively—strengthening communities, workplaces, and democracy itself.

What is Constructive Dialogue?

Constructive dialogue is a form of conversation where people with different perspectives seek to understand one another—without abandoning their own beliefs—in order to live, learn, and work together. It is especially well-suited for grappling with important, complex issues that often divide people.

At its core, constructive dialogue prioritizes mutual understanding: the shared effort to understand others’ views while knowing that others are making the same effort toward yours. Through this process, participants may enrich their own perspectives, clarify differences, uncover common ground, or even create opportunities for future collaboration that once seemed out of reach.

Constructive dialogue can be further defined by what it is not. Constructive dialogue is not about persuading others or winning an argument; and it is not about proving the other side wrong. While these may be reasonable goals for other forms of conversation, these are not the aims of constructive dialogue.