Listening Is a Superpower: Hard Wrought Lessons From Conversations With Voters

The cold, dry snow of the Northern Rockies makes a low creak when you walk through it; a sound oddly reminiscent of Styrofoam.

Karin prepares for a day of door-knocking at Bozeman, Mont. (Courtesy of Karin Kirk)

My nose was running, but behind the cover of my KN95 mask, it didn’t seem to matter. It was a gorgeous October day in Montana. Seven inches of fresh snow, nine degrees Fahrenheit (-12.8°C), and piercing sunshine.

I sized up the house in front of me: 507 South Cottonwood Street. It was a single-family home with an unshoveled sidewalk and a drift boat tucked in a corner of the driveway. “Outdoorspeople who sleep late,” I thought to myself as I waded through the snow and knocked on the door as assertively as cold knuckles would allow.

I held my breath to listen for a sign of life inside. Was that a dog’s toenails clacking across the floor? I peered through the sidelight windows, seeking any indication of who these people might be: a flag, a sticker, even an item of clothing.

I held my breath to listen for a sign of life inside. Was that a dog’s toenails clacking across the floor? I peered through the sidelight windows, seeking any indication of who these people might be: a flag, a sticker, even an item of clothing. I heard footsteps approaching and pulled back from the window. Oh good, someone is home. My heart pounded underneath two down jackets. But now I have to talk to a total stranger about politics.

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Like many scientists, I’d become increasingly distraught with the abandonment of scientific expertise throughout the Trump administration, a stance that had loudly echoed through Montana’s statewide political narrative. People working on environmental issues were portrayed as corrupt, unlikable, out of touch, and most importantly, our work was characterized as dismantling Montana’s “way of life,” whatever that means.

Karin testifies in front of the Montana State House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee against SB 331 on April 8, 2019. The Montana Energy Security Act, which would have forced taxpayers to shoulder the costs of shuttering Colstrip power plants' coal-fired units, ultimately failed to pass by a margin of 37-60. (Courtesy of Karin Kirk)

As anti-science messaging pumped out through the airwaves and social media campaigns, I felt the best way to respond was to show up on people’s doorsteps, listen to their concerns, and do my best to make an impression that scientists are here to solve problems, not create them.