CivilTalk’s Twelve Days of Christmas Civility

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Day 1: Active Listening During the holidays, which scenario best demonstrates active listening?

a) Putting down distractions, making eye contact, and asking follow-up questions about what someone shared

b) Nodding while checking your phone during a family story

c) Waiting for your turn to share your own similar experience

d) Listening only to respond with advice

Correct Answer is A: Active listening requires full presence and engagement. By eliminating distractions, maintaining eye contact, and asking thoughtful follow-up questions, you demonstrate that you genuinely value what the other person is saying and want to understand their message fully.

Think about a recent time when someone truly listened to you, or when you gave someone your full attention. How did it make you or them feel?

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Day 2: Empathy is the greatest gift we can share during the holiday season, reminding us to see, understand, and uplift one another. Empathy means:

a) Feeling sorry for someone's difficulties

b) Agreeing with everyone to keep the peace

c) Fixing other people's problems for them

d) Understanding and sharing the feelings of another person

Correct Answer is D: Empathy goes beyond sympathy (feeling sorry for someone) or problem-solving. It's about putting yourself in another person's shoes and genuinely connecting with their emotional experience, even when you haven't been through the same situation yourself.

Think about a moment when you connected with someone's emotions, even if their experience was different from yours. What helped you understand their perspective?

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Day 3: Healthy Conflict Management at holiday gatherings means:

a) Avoiding all disagreements

b) Leaving when tense

c) Winning every argument

d) Respectful problem-solving

Correct Answer is D: Effective conflict management doesn't mean avoiding conflict or dominating others. It means addressing disagreements directly and respectfully while working toward solutions that benefit everyone involved. This approach preserves relationships while resolving issues.

Think about a time when you or someone else handled a disagreement in a way that actually strengthened the relationship. What approach worked?

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