February 27, 2020
OUR PARTISANSHIP IS A FUNCTION OF OUR AGREEMENT:
4 science-based strategies to tame angry political debate and encourage tolerance (Beverly B. Palmer, 2/27/20, The Conversation)
1. ConnectAvoiding interactions with people who have different opinions perpetuates divisiveness. Risk connecting with these people. Relate through activities you enjoy such as volunteering, joining a "Meetup" group or starting a book club. You could even invite people from various backgrounds to a potluck dinner at your home. [...]2. Find common groundIt's important to remember the basic need to feel secure is shared by all people. Focusing on commonalities can lead to a deeper understanding of another person, while focusing on differences will lead to arguments. [...]3. CommunicateListen more and talk less. Show the other person you have understood what they said before jumping in with your thoughts. [...]4. Learn to critically evaluate mediaDon't passively accept all that you see and hear. There are too many sources of distorted facts, unsupported opinions and outright lies available today. Critically evaluate what is being presented by considering the source and fact-checking the content.
The fact is that most issues after the End of History are pretty much settled (70-30, 80-20), so partisanship is all we have to separate ourselves.
Posted by Orrin Judd at February 27, 2020 9:31 AM