I am also a retired college teacher who has taught communication and given a number of workshops, most recently around Nonviolent Communication issues. (Marshall Rosenberg http://www.cnvc.org )

Here are some ideas that I take to be saying the same thing:
Quakers – there is that of God in every person and we are called to speak to that of God in everyone
Maslow – our basic core motivator is a hunger for self-actualization which includes service to others
Ken Keyes – “Behind all of our thoughts, feelings, and actions, we always have beneficial positive intentions (even though we may sometimes use unskillful ways to achieve them.)”

When I can hold that awareness and see the honorable intention at the core of every person’s every action, I have had many amazing connections across major differences. When we connect at that level, we can work together to solve problems. Do I hold that center regularly? No. Then I get into “I am right, you are wrong/stupid/stubborn/greedy” discussions that I think add to the problem instead of contributing to building bridges. I frequently get really overwhelmed by my fear around climate change and the best I can offer is my silence.

Social science offers that most of our views on political issues are emotion-based, not logic-based, and therefore arguing logic with someone is generally a waste of time. We all literally process ideas we perceive as Republican or Democrat based in different parts of our brain.