Today in American politics opposing sides have never been more divisive. The Democratic voters say that Republican voters hate the poor, hate the environment, and that they want to give overwhelming power to corporations and religious zealots. Republican voters say the Democratic voters want to turn America into a Third World country, that they want to undermine American values, and that they want to embrace socialism.
There are truths in both sides of these accusations, but they are true for the politicians and the parties, not for the voters. The voters, more often than not, vote the way they do because they truly in their heart believe that they are making America better off.
Be Humble, Be Open-Minded, Stop Being Tribalistic
Tribalism means that you believe and you parrot everything that the tribal collective believes and says. It means you are blindly believing what others say and you are being blindly obedient to them. The government and the two-party system wants this, they want sides to be divided, angry at each other, and blind to intellectual honesty because it means that attention can be diverted away from where the real problem lies. They want Democrats and Republicans hating one another.
Instead you should be an individual, foster your own beliefs and values, and come to your own conclusions. You should be radically open-minded, instead of attached to an outcome or a belief. You should be willing and ready to change your beliefs if you come across new evidence. Be willing to entertain ideas that you don’t agree with, challenge and question your own assumptions.
Be humble. Realize that there is so much that you do not know and that there are very smart people who disagree with you in many areas. Accept that you do not hold the ultimate truth, you do not know all the final answers, and that you don’t necessarily know what’s best for America or for all of your fellow Americans. Be humble, be open-minded, consider all perspectives, care more about truth and honesty instead of being right, and remember that there is always a counter argument.
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle
Have Compassion For Your Fellow Americans
Be able to look past the fact that people lean liberal or conservative. Consider that they probably have reasonable reasons for why they believe what they believe even if it isn’t all true. Realize that for many people, their political beliefs have strong roots in their parents and their upbringing.
We’re all unique individuals, a part of one human family. We shouldn’t allow politics to divide us and fill us with hate. We should be friends, and when it comes to discussing politics we should use calm logical reasoning, not emotional battles.
The vast majority of us people, Democrats, Republicans, libertarians, and socialists want to see society improve, we just don’t all agree on how to get there. Realize that we the people, regardless of our political affiliation, are stronger united. We need to realize that we are all on the same team against the tyrants that rule us and hold power over us. It’s we the people, our human family versus politicians. Stop letting those in power divide you and fill you with anger, hate, and paranoia.