We’ve been exploring this strange idea called pluralism—something many smart people reference as the “lifeblood” of democracy. The more we listened to them, the more we agreed.

We define pluralism as people of varying beliefs and backgrounds respecting one another as equal citizens in a democracy. Without that commitment to one another, the civil disagreement needed to hash out issues and find common ground can’t exist.

Simply put, pluralism is a big deal that allows our democratic republic to endure. The fact that 340 million profoundly different people coexist largely without violence in our free society is a miracle. So incredible, in fact, that we often fail to appreciate the extraordinary ordinariness with which we engage with people who think, act and believe differently from us.

This is how pluralism works in real life, and it helps the United States prosper in three big ways:

First, it enables the social cohesion needed for a diverse population to live broadly as they wish within the rule of law. 

Second, it bolsters civil liberties, freedoms and self-government amid diverse (even conflicting) beliefs; if we were all the same, respecting and protecting differences wouldn’t be necessary. 

And, third, it promotes opportunity and innovation across differences; think about all the times you engage in commerce or business ventures with people who are different from you.

America’s commitment to these ideals has contributed to our country making it to 250 years. To reach 500, though, the United States will need to redouble those efforts as it becomes more ideologically, ethnically and religiously diverse. 

We’ve identified nine pragmatic actions that will help navigate difficult conversations, interactions and people. We have catalogued them in a new playbook, “We the People: Pluralism in Real Life,” released by the George W. Bush Institute.

Leaders of various stripes nationwide can use this resource to become stronger pluralists who make the United States thrive. Pluralism does not mean “kumbaya” togetherness or imposing groupthink (a common misconception). Democracy isn’t working correctly if it’s not generating friction among free people over issues big and small—that’s normal. Pluralism allows us to do so without killing one another.

Here’s what we gleaned in a nutshell:

1. Build a foundation for respectful engagement. Human dignity is inherent in all of us, even those we disagree with. Recognizing and honoring this is the first step to coexisting without violence.
2. Establish a shared mission, goal or challenge. Despite our differences, we rally around shared values as Americans, which fosters pluralistic collaboration. Don’t forget, such collaboration can be a fluid process that creates perpetually evolving coalitions and relationships.
3. Create better dialogue through better disagreement. Democracy is all about disagreement. Embrace it and lead with curiosity. Set ground rules to encourage civil conversation. Listen to genuinely understand your opponent’s positions. Define your terms. Seek clarity and don’t assume or stereotype. Criticize ideas, not people.
4. Avoid a conversion mindset. Pluralism doesn’t work if your goal is to win someone over to your point of view and make them reject their own. Welcome others’ opinions, share your position, and be willing to part ways in respectful disagreement.
5. Model pluralism as a leader. An effective leader is one who can champion pluralism by demonstrating civility, seeking to understand different sides of an issue, rejecting oversimplification of nuanced perspectives, and inspiring trust across diverse constituencies through service.
6. Incorporate pluralism into decision-making. Decision-making processes that allow for competing voices and perspectives to be shared, debated and respected help build an acceptable consensus.
7. Make pluralism a duty of citizenship. An active, engaged citizenry is core to democracy. It’s necessary to recognize that whether we agree or disagree, we do so in the capacity of citizens who have equal rights. While we don’t think alike, we act together—that includes shared projects and contentious processes such as elections or policy debates.
8. Question your assumptions. Pluralism isn’t just practiced between opposing groups. Encourage disagreement within your team. Build a culture in which people feel comfortable challenging the group without feeling like an outcast. We can develop better solutions and arguments for our positions when people are free to challenge the team’s conventional wisdom.
9. Finally, enjoy pluralism’s lighter side. Pluralism doesn’t have to be serious. Take time to set politics and disagreements aside and enjoy time together as a community.

It can be a struggle practicing these habits with people who get your blood boiling. Doing so is the challenge our nation faces. Let’s embrace it to help our big, diverse democracy of freedom-loving people reach 500 years.

William McKenzie is the senior editorial adviser at the George W. Bush Institute. Chris Walsh is the director of Freedom and Democracy at the George W. Bush Institute. They wrote this for www.InsideSources.com.