During one of his early semesters at Johns Hopkins, Aron Einbinder recalls a discussion about healthcare policy that “immediately became… combative, like within a minute.” The conversation escalated so quickly that he felt there was no point in continuing. “I ended up walking away because I didn’t think we were going to get anywhere,” he says. Later, he realized how much that moment mattered. “I wish I had been better at trying to find some common ground,” he admits, recognizing that how we handle disagreements can either shut dialogue down or create opportunities for deeper understanding. That realization marked the start of his journey toward more collaborative conversations.
Aron discovered the SNF Agora Institute’s emphasis on civic engagement, and by attending Agora events, he was introduced to the idea of listening first and seeking out people’s personal experiences to grasp why they hold certain views. By seeing how these concepts played out in real-life discussions, he started to sense that intense conflicts—like the one he’d faced on campus—might be eased by a more thoughtful approach.
Around the same time, Aron worked ten hours a week as a paid intern for a city council campaign. Knocking on doors was daunting at first, especially when “most doors you knock on don’t open,” but he quickly recognized that a handful of in-depth conversations could reveal people’s core concerns. Instead of listing policy points, he asked neighbors, “What is an issue that matters to you and that you would like to see changed?” Everyday problems—missing speed bumps, underfunded youth programs—emerged as pressing issues. He discovered that grounding the discussion in their realities made people more willing to talk.
The more he listened, the more he saw the power of focusing on shared objectives. “Finding shared values or opinions is helpful,” he explains, because it helps everyone see they might aim for the same outcome, like safer neighborhoods, even if they disagree on how to get there. That emphasis on common goals also kept him from slipping into the combative style he’d experienced in his earlier healthcare policy conversation. People generally opened up when they felt he respected their views, and he left each exchange with a better grasp of what really mattered to them.
Aron’s sense of what collective action can achieve deepened when he attended a global poverty conference. Surrounded by faculty, researchers, and activists, he watched them brainstorm practical ways to address systemic problems. Observing these experts tackle large-scale challenges showed him that no individual can solve everything alone, but people working together can make a profound impact.
Looking back, Aron highlights a lesson he continues to practice every day. “If you’re not willing to have your mind changed to some extent,” he says, “it’s hard to have a productive conversation.” He also reminds himself that “you can only control your own approach,” meaning it takes intentional openness—and sometimes humility—to keep a dialogue moving forward. Nowadays, whether he’s working in a neighborhood or talking with classmates, he relies on the insight he gained from both his campaign experience and SNF Agora: start with what people truly care about, respect their perspective, and let curiosity guide the conversation toward common ground.