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You probably were told earlier in you life to avoid topics like religion and politics esp at work or with your family and friends. You may have gotten into a few heated political debates with strangers either online or offline and found it nearly impossible to reason with them and that left a bad taste in your mouth. So you don't want to offend others and want harmony, and without thinking, you end up gravitating with others with similar political beliefs as yours to minimize such political friction.
And when millions of people do this at scale, you end up with polarization.
At least that's my theory, but feel free to disagree. But if it's at least somewhat true, then I think there's a simple measure that'll reduce polarization: stop being so easily offended - put up a thicker skin but at the same time, listen and respect others with differing political views! You don't need to accept their views but stop instinctively recoiling and seeking refuge with similar minded people at the first hint of meeting some with political views that are at odds with yours.
Does that sound like a recipe for less polarization? Why or why not?
You probably were told earlier in you life to avoid topics like religion and politics esp at work or with your family and friends. You may have gotten into a few heated political debates with strangers either online or offline and found it nearly impossible to reason with them and that left a bad taste in your mouth. So you don't want to offend others and want harmony, and without thinking, you end up gravitating with others with similar political beliefs as yours to minimize such political friction.
And when millions of people do this at scale, you end up with polarization.
At least that's my theory, but feel free to disagree. But if it's at least somewhat true, then I think there's a simple measure that'll reduce polarization: stop being so easily offended - put up a thicker skin but at the same time, listen and respect others with differing political views! You don't need to accept their views but stop instinctively recoiling and seeking refuge with similar minded people at the first hint of meeting some with political views that are at odds with yours.
Does that sound like a recipe for less polarization? Why or why not?
If not at work, or with family & friends, then with whom? Strangers?
On the assumption that you are referring only to IRL, and not online, then I think the opposite may be just as true. Polarization causes fear of confrontation and causing offense, and as a result people avoid the issues.
IMO, polarization happens when people cannot see others with differing views as important, or as fully human as they are. Also people have trouble understanding vastly different life experiences. Sometimes people see issues as very much either wrong or right. For them everything is seen as wrong or right, with no in between, or questionable areas.
I remember reading an old book about some cranky old man in the 1800s and it was listing some things he didn’t like, and one of them was a Whig. I think polarization is part of our nature unfortunately.
If your question is - there is no freedom of speech, as most are bound by various limitations of every day life and fear of punishment, then yes. We all know, what we can not speak of. No one wants to lose job or, get into pointless heated argument that may end in bloodshed. No one wants to get tagged for stalking and harassment. That's most. What gives open hand to those audacious ones particularly, when they see that, they can easily have upper hand and will not be limited in their "self expression".
Does that skew, or bias people freedom of political expression? Openly, sure. No doubt about that.
Polarization occurs when the news media ignores the 90% of topics that we all agree on
and concentrate on the 10% we disagree on
On top of that, they make sure to only talk to people that are extremely passionate about those topics and act as if anybody that disagrees with them is "the enemy"
Polarization occurs when the news media ignores the 90% of topics that we all agree on
and concentrate on the 10% we disagree on
On top of that, they make sure to only talk to people that are extremely passionate about those topics and act as if anybody that disagrees with them is "the enemy"
I don’t think we should lay so much blame on the media. News media, particularly, reports news. News often reflects current issues, controversies or debates. I believe the problem lies in human nature. We all have the capacity to hate or love. We choose between these two extremes every day. It is often much easier to hate than to love.
How do you "respect" someone who continues to believe and support a viewpoint that has been demonstrated to be utterly false?
If it appears to you that no amount of persuasion on your part, or presentation of facts, will change the mind of such a person, then you can respect that person by "agreeing to disagree."
In recent times I've found that my usual cohort of buddies or fellow-travelers, has come instead to be a source of strident disagreement. That is, my natural allies and I, are now on starkly opposite sides of the debate. But that has not brought me closer to my former antagonists, as I continue to feel just as stark a cultural divide with these latter. The result has been a complete paucity of allies, of persons with whom I could level in frank and unfettered banter, without fear of causing offense, or jeopardizing the friendship. This results in an even greater isolation than that levied upon us, by present circumstances.
The point here seems to be less of a furtherance of divide between two camps arrayed against each other, than an atomization and a fragmenting into all-against-all. By having no one with whom one feels truly safe, we are limited to only superficial and guarded interaction, probing our interlocutor for tendencies and preferences, and then tilting our speech accordingly. This is perhaps more peaceful - if there are no allies then there can be no battles - but it is maddening and frustrating.
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