When trying to convince people of the problem of polarization and the necessity for depolarization endeavors, a common objection from politically passionate people goes, “But the other side is horrible, so polarization makes sense.” In this episode, I talk about what is probably the primary counterpoint to that objection: that us-vs-them anger, in a non-obvious way, can help create the very things we’re angry about. For this reason, if one wants to defeat extreme views on the other side (or on both sides), the way to achieve that goal is to take a depolarizing, anger-reducing, de-escalating approach.
Podcast links:
Relates resources:
- My podcast episodes on polarization-related topics
- Robert Talisse’s book Sustaining Democracy (best depolarization I’ve read)
- Site for my work-in-progress depolarization-aimed book