On Tyranny
Cut along the dashed lines and pass the cards around the table.
Where were you curled up while reading this little book, and did you read it all at once or a lesson at a time with a cup of something warm?
Which of the twenty lesson titles made you smile, nod, or pause the first time you read it, and why do you think it stuck with you?
Several lessons are about small everyday things like making eye contact, chatting with neighbors, and caring for your words. Who in your life is great at those small, warm gestures, and how do they make you feel?
Did any lesson bring back a family story or a memory from someone who lived through a hard chapter of history? Would you like to share it with the group?
The book asks us to value real conversation and a private life. What does your own 'safe harbor' look like, whether that's a person, a place, or a ritual that helps you feel grounded?
Which lesson felt most comforting, like advice from a wise friend, and which one felt a bit uncomfortable or challenging for you personally?
Snyder suggests that ordinary people have more power than they think. Was there a moment while reading when you felt more hopeful, or more worried, about your own role in your community? What was going on for you then?
If you could pick one lesson to hand to a young person you love, wrapped up like a gift, which would it be, and what would you write on the card?