Election day is behind us, but deep divisions remain. As Abraham Lincoln once suggested, we need to bind up the nation’s wounds, but this will not be an easy task. Our national political discord has a cultural dimension that goes beyond elections and policy differences, requiring each of us to step up by reflecting on our personal behavior and finding ways to reach out to those on the other side.
In 2000, Robert Putnam wrote about the decline of American participation in civic groups and organizations in his book Bowling Alone. On a recent PBS Newshour, Pepperdine University’s Pete Peterson added that the “increasing senses of loneliness and disconnection from one another and from civic institutions, from churches to civil society, has forced people to find their identity almost explicitly, if not completely, in politics.”
As a former state legislator, I had the opportunity to work on democratic development in Africa. Despite some successes, democracy has struggled in that special continent in part due to deep tribal affinities. I remember thinking that we are lucky we don’t have that problem so much in the United States, but these days our home-grown tribalism and identity politics have the potential to undercut nearly 250 years of history.
Despite our many challenges, the United States during my life has been looked up to throughout the world. Our democratic institutions with a free press, checks and balances on power, and active citizenry have propelled this country forward socially and economically. But now I wonder if my children and grandchildren will have the same benefits that I enjoyed. Are the best days of America in our past?
Visiting Rome, I found artifacts of that once great civilization around every corner and have also seen its influence in North Africa. It eventually fell, and history predicts that our nation will someday tumble, too. But, if we cannot find a way to come together, I wonder if our time could be up too soon.
So, what is the solution?
It starts with respecting and engaging with others, especially those with whom we disagree politically, applying curiosity, listening skills, and empathy. Jamil Zaki observed on the NPR’s Hidden Brain, that “empathy at a deep level is the understanding that someone else’s world is just as real as yours.”
How often do we embrace this thought in political discourse? Aren’t we sure our side is right? And aren’t “those people” who disagree with us fundamentally flawed, malicious, or even evil? “Remember that the person in front of you is a human, first, and an opinion, second,” note America Ferrera and John Paul Lederach in How Change Happens, In Generational Time.
Second, we need to rethink use of social media, given that its algorithms are designed to exploit emotions and fears. An old adage about the press was that, “If it bleeds, it leads,” but social media has taken this to a more insidious level: “If it screams, it streams (but if kind, pay no mind).”
As noted in a recent Forbes article by Helena Puig Larrauri, “The majority of people aren’t driving polarization, it is happening to them and they may not be aware of it.” We are being unwittingly manipulated to dislike those who disagree with our opinions.
Third, join others to promote change though organizations such as Braver Angels, a national citizens organization that unites Americans to depolarize our country. Embracing core values of respect, humility, honesty, and responsible citizenship, we bring people together, teaching skills on how to listen and better understand those with whom we disagree, including family members.
You can also sign the Braver Angels “Hold America Together” letter (braverangels.org/hat/) that begins, “At a moment of danger in this era of divisiveness, We the American People come together to speak for the Union. Some of us voted for President Trump and others for Vice President Biden. But in this season of intense and legitimate partisanship, we commit ourselves also to a higher partisanship – for the maintenance of our Union.”
We each have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in our country and people’s lives, including our own. Don’t underestimate your impact.
(Douglass Teschner is a volunteer with Braver Angels, serving as Northern New England coordinator. He is a former New Hampshire state legislator and served as Peace Corps country director in Ukraine and West Africa.)