{"id":2593,"date":"2024-07-10T14:57:07","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T14:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?p=2593"},"modified":"2024-10-27T22:36:27","modified_gmt":"2024-10-27T22:36:27","slug":"4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Myths About America’s Toxic Polarization Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s face it: some people are skeptical of efforts to reduce toxic polarization and political contempt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We get it. When we see the political and cultural stakes as very high, it\u2019s only natural to be skeptical of messages aimed at helping us get along better. Even some who agree on the importance of this work may see it as a \u201cside quest\u201d \u2014 a nice thing, sure, but something that can wait until we tackle more immediate dangers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to persuade more people, from across the political spectrum, why this work is vitally important \u2014 how<\/em> <\/span>it\u2019s the source of many other problems that upset and threaten us<\/span><\/i>. We must persuade politically passionate people that they can work towards their goals while also working on reducing political contempt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few common myths about polarization that underlie a lot of objections to this work. Here are four:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u201cIt\u2019s normal for Americans to disagree. The problem isn\u2019t serious.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. \u201cWe should be polarized when the other side is so horrible.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. \u201cReducing polarization means asking people to compromise with extremists.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. \u201cWe need our animosity to defeat the \u2018bad guys.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s look at what these myths are missing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Myth #1: \u201cIt\u2019s normal for us to disagree. People overstate the problem of our divides.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s entirely normal for us to disagree on issues \u2014 and even to strongly and passionately disagree. What\u2019s unhealthy and dangerous is the contempt and fear that more and more of us have for people on the \u201cother side.\u201d (This is sometimes referred to as \u201caffective polarization\u201d \u2014 with \u201caffect\u201d referring to our emotions.) Our contempt and fear contribute to a self-reinforcing cycle of anger and hatred.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Learn more:<\/i><\/b> Read our piece <\/span><\/i>\u201cIsn\u2019t it normal for us to disagree?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

    Myth #2: \u201cWe should <\/i>be polarized when the other side is so horrible.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It\u2019s rational for us to have concerns about our political opponents. However, we must recognize that conflict dynamics and toxic polarization can result in distorted and overly pessimistic views of the \u201cother side.\u201d Distorted views contribute to the toxicity of our divides \u2014 leading to more pessimistic views of each other and so on…\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Learn more<\/i><\/b>: Read our piece <\/span><\/i>\u201cThrough a distorted lens: How perceptions of the \u2018other side\u2019 drive toxic division.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

    Myth #3: \u201cReducing polarization requires people to compromise with extremists.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Some people think that depolarization and bridge-building work are about valuing \u201cunity\u201d and \u201cgetting along\u201d above all else \u2014 putting \u201cpeace\u201d over \u201cjustice,\u201d or that we and others in this space just want everyone to \u201cmeet in the middle,\u201d no matter how unreasonable one group\u2019s political position may be.<\/span><\/p>\n

    But that\u2019s not true. We are encouraging an examination of a) <\/span>how we view our political opponents<\/span><\/i> and b) <\/span>how we engage with them<\/span><\/i>. As stated, many of us are just plain wrong about what the \u201cother side\u201d believes and what motivates them; this can lead to inaccurate ideas of what compromise with \u201cthem\u201d will look like.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Also, in disagreement, there\u2019s more room for compromise than people see at first \u2014 there\u2019s much more common ground than people tend to expect. It\u2019s often possible to arrive at <\/span>creative compromises<\/span><\/a> that make many people happy (or at least less unhappy).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Learn more<\/i><\/b>: Read our piece <\/span><\/i>\u201cYou want us to compromise with extremists?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

    Myth #4: \u201cWe need our animosity to defeat the \u2018bad guys\u2019\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Many think the work of reducing toxic polarization is at odds with political activism. The thinking goes, \u201cWe need to be polarized because our political opponents are so bad.\u201d Or: \u201cWe need our animosity to defeat the bad guys.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Those instincts make a lot of sense. When we see harm being done by our political opponents on various political and cultural issues, we become understandably angry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    But the problem isn\u2019t political passion or anger; <\/span>it\u2019s contempt<\/span><\/i>. When we engage in contemptuous, insulting, and non-compromising ways with our opponents, they\u2019re more likely to do the same to us. Through our dark views of our opponents, we help drive the vicious cycle of conflict.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    For these reasons,<\/span> depolarizing approaches can be powerful tools of political activism<\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/i> One can be politically passionate and active while taking depolarizing approaches that minimize pushback to one\u2019s cause and do more to help persuade others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Learn more:<\/i><\/b> Read our piece <\/span><\/i>\u201cPolitical passion is not at odds with depolarization\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

    Help us spread the word<\/span><\/h3>\n

    We must persuade more Americans of the importance of this work. One way you can help is to share this piece on social media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s spread the word about the true goals and nature of this work, so we can help apply pressure on the more influential people among us \u2014 journalists, pundits, educators, leaders \u2014 to join the movement for a healthier, less toxic society.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Want to stay in the loop on endeavors to reduce toxic divides? <\/span><\/i>Sign up for our newsletter<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Let\u2019s face it: some people are skeptical of efforts to reduce toxic polarization and political contempt.\u00a0 We get it. When we see the political and cultural stakes as very high, it\u2019s only natural to be skeptical of messages aimed at helping us get along better. Even some who agree on the importance of this work…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":2594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"collection_feed":[],"type_feed":[77],"class_list":["post-2593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n4 Myths About America's Toxic Polarization Problem - Builders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"4 myths about our toxic division and how to overcome them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"4 Myths About America's Toxic Polarization Problem - Builders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"4 myths about our toxic division and how to overcome them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Builders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-10T14:57:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-27T22:36:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"747\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"John Zhang\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#\/schema\/person\/62730f1b289c8915357e5f26d4555984\"},\"headline\":\"4 Myths About America’s Toxic Polarization Problem\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-10T14:57:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-27T22:36:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/\"},\"wordCount\":820,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/\",\"name\":\"4 Myths About America's Toxic Polarization Problem - Builders\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-07-10T14:57:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-27T22:36:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#\/schema\/person\/62730f1b289c8915357e5f26d4555984\"},\"description\":\"4 myths about our toxic division and how to overcome them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":747,\"caption\":\"Illustration of a red elephant on the left and a blue donkey on the right, symbolizing political parties, on a crumpled white background.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"4 Myths About America’s Toxic Polarization Problem\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/\",\"name\":\"Builders\",\"description\":\"Rise Above Us vs Them. Be a Builder\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"4 Myths About America's Toxic Polarization Problem - Builders","description":"4 myths about our toxic division and how to overcome them.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"4 Myths About America's Toxic Polarization Problem - Builders","og_description":"4 myths about our toxic division and how to overcome them.","og_url":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/","og_site_name":"Builders","article_published_time":"2024-07-10T14:57:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-10-27T22:36:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":747,"url":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif","type":"image\/gif"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/"},"author":{"name":"John Zhang","@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#\/schema\/person\/62730f1b289c8915357e5f26d4555984"},"headline":"4 Myths About America’s Toxic Polarization Problem","datePublished":"2024-07-10T14:57:07+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-27T22:36:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/"},"wordCount":820,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/","url":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/","name":"4 Myths About America's Toxic Polarization Problem - Builders","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif","datePublished":"2024-07-10T14:57:07+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-27T22:36:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#\/schema\/person\/62730f1b289c8915357e5f26d4555984"},"description":"4 myths about our toxic division and how to overcome them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/HeroImage_Feed-1.gif","width":1200,"height":747,"caption":"Illustration of a red elephant on the left and a blue donkey on the right, symbolizing political parties, on a crumpled white background."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2024\/07\/10\/4-myths-about-our-toxic-division-and-how-to-overcome-them\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"4 Myths About America’s Toxic Polarization Problem"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/","name":"Builders","description":"Rise Above Us vs Them. Be a Builder","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2593"},{"taxonomy":"collection_feed","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/collection_feed?post=2593"},{"taxonomy":"type_feed","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type_feed?post=2593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}