{"id":2293,"date":"2023-11-07T18:59:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T18:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?p=2293"},"modified":"2024-03-13T18:29:40","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T18:29:40","slug":"why-is-polarization-a-problem-isnt-it-normal-for-us-to-strongly-disagree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2023\/11\/07\/why-is-polarization-a-problem-isnt-it-normal-for-us-to-strongly-disagree\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Polarization a Problem? Isn\u2019t it Normal For Us To Strongly Disagree?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cPolarization\u2026is the single greatest weakness of the United States as a country today.\u201d <\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 \u00a0 –<\/span><\/i>Francis Fukuyama<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

It seems like everyone is talking about toxic division and polarization. In response, you might have wondered, \u201cAmerica has always had a lot of disagreement and conflict. How is this different?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Or maybe you\u2019ve thought: \u201cBut it makes sense for us to be polarized when the \u2018other side\u2019 is so horrible and dangerous.\u201d Being divided can seem to make sense when we see \u201cthem\u201d as hurting the country or our community, as behaving in authoritarian ways, or whatever it is we see that arouses our anger.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s dig into what people mean when they talk about the problem of polarization.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s not about disagreement on issues<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>When people talk about polarization being a major problem, it\u2019s often affective polarization<\/i> they\u2019re talking about, not<\/i> the polarization of beliefs.1<\/sup> <\/i>Affective polarization refers to the animosity and contempt people can have for people who disagree with them: the people on the \u201cother side.\u201d (\u201cAffect<\/a>\u201d in this context refers to emotions.) This can also be referred to as pernicious polarization<\/a>, us vs. them polarization, or toxic polarization.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s entirely normal and expected for us to disagree on issues, and even to disagree strongly and passionately \u2014 <\/span>what is unhealthy and dangerous is the contempt that more and more people have for people on the \u201cother side.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Us vs. them contempt can in turn influence our beliefs, making this problem even more complex. When we view issues in us vs. them, good vs. evil ways, we\u2019re more likely to be unbending in our stances. We become less likely to want to be like or compromise with the \u201cbad guys.\u201d (One book that examines the complexity of polarization is <\/span>The Way Out<\/span><\/i><\/a> by Peter Coleman.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Toxic polarization leads to all kinds of dysfunction that impact all of us negatively: loss of trust and connection with our fellow citizens, political gridlock, and more political violence (to name a few things). It creates an environment where we can’t work together to tackle the important problems facing us \u2014 and for that reason alone, many people see polarization as <\/span>our biggest problem<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A dramatic rise in polarization<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/strong>Many surveys have shown a continual increase over the last few decades in how much animosity Democrats and Republicans have for each other. A 2022 survey<\/a> showed a big increase over the previous six years in the number of Americans who said people on the \u201cother side\u201d were more immoral, close-minded, dishonest, and lazy (amongst other negative traits) than people in their own group.<\/p>\n

\"Pew<\/p>\n

And research shows our very negative and pessimistic views of each other are based on distorted and inaccurate perceptions. This includes research showing that many people have an exaggerated view of how many extreme and hateful people are on the \u201cother side.\u201d These views, in turn, make them <\/span>more contemptuous of the \u201cother side,\u201d and more extreme and hardened in their beliefs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to see that this is primarily a problem of too much contempt for each other, not one of political beliefs. Some people hear the goal of \u201creducing polarization\u201d and think that implies changing people\u2019s beliefs. But that is <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> what this work is about. This work is <\/span>about seeing each other more clearly.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the topic of our distorted views doesn\u2019t get much attention from the media or politicians. One reason is that talking about that would mean acknowledging that people in both political groups play a role in amplifying our divides. In a polarized environment, there can be a pressure on people to not talk about how their own group may be contributing to the problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our contempt is often based on distorted perceptions<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/strong>Our distorted perceptions of each other is a big subject. If you\u2019d like to learn more, here are a few resources:<\/p>\n