We saw some remarkable results from the election, but we believe it is going to take more than newly elected leaders or changes in party power to address our most pressing problems. Our nation faces many challenges, including inflation, affordable housing and childcare, a growing national debt, the expanding role of artificial intelligence, a changing climate, the war in Iran, and government mistrust. That’s a lot to be concerned about and, of course, this list is only the beginning.
To fundamentally address these critical issues, we need to start with an even bigger challenge — finding ways to work together and overcoming contempt for those who think differently. Meaningful change will require stepping out of political siloes to engage with those with different perspectives. It needs to start with each of us as individuals, exploring our values and reflecting on how we apply them to people with contrary political views.
Polarization was selected as Merriam-Webster’s 2024 Word of the Year, which was no surprise given how much it has dominated our national culture. Political polarization has two aspects. Disagreements over ideas (called ideological polarization) can be healthy for our society. After all, our democracy benefits from open discussion and debate of competing policies.
In contrast, dislike and distrust of people with different views (affective polarization) is toxic and interferes with healthy disagreement about ideas and policies. This creates a dangerous “us versus them” mentality that threatens our nation. Mónica Guzmán, author of I Never Thought of It That Way and the “Braver Way” podcast, describes this kind of polarization “as the problem that eats other problems, the monster who convinces us that the monsters are us.”
Throughout the midterms, we saw so much advertising and mailers demeaning political opponents. We have always had negative campaigning, but this has risen to new levels of disdain, designed to play on our worst fears. At the same time, conflict entrepreneurs, including foreign governments, exploit social media to divide us for profit, attention, and power. Like it or not, we are all being manipulated. But unhealthy behavior and political contempt are not inevitable.
Is this the country we want to be? What are we teaching our children? As volunteer leaders with the national organization Braver Angels, we know that when Americans from different sides really listen to each other, they often find much more in common than they previously believed.
Doug of West Lebanon is a former GOP state New Hampshire legislator who led the Peace Corps in Ukraine and helped end the Ebola epidemic in Guinea. Beth, a liberal Vermonter from Quechee, is a neurologist and science communicator focused on public health, sleep, and climate change. We co-authored the award-winning book “Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times” and host the “Together Across Differences” Substack newsletter.
We know that when people get into a room and listen to each other respectfully, this creates fertile ground for finding solutions to challenging problems like those listed above. But if our leaders are unwilling to engage in this way, these issues will continue to fester. Yes, we can (and should) elect candidates who support our views, but we need to hold them to a higher standard of treating others with dignity and respect – no matter their politics.
When we as citizens demand respectful behavior from our elected leaders, we will all benefit. But it has to start with us. What is in your heart and what you think about others really do matter. Your influence touches people who, in turn, will touch many more. We know this is hard, especially when you are the object of derision. But responding with more of the same only leads us down a bottomless pit. A better approach is to respond with curiosity and humility, which might surprise those on the other side, breaking down their stereotypes of you and maybe even leading them to reconsider their perspective.
We can each step back and reflect on what we can do better. We can choose a path of hope instead of dehumanizing others. Hope starts with believing that, despite our differences, we can find a way to hold our country together. Fully living your values embraces hope in the spirit of bettering lives, relationships, communities and country.
Yes, the midterm elections can bring meaningful change if we demand better of ourselves and our elected leaders.
Doug Teschner Ed.D and Beth Malow MD both volunteer with Braver Angels, co-authored the award-winning book “Beyond the Politics of Contempt: Practical Steps to Build Positive Relationships in Divided Times,” and host the “Together Across Differences” Substack newsletter.
Doug Teschner’s background includes serving as a leadership consultant, GOP state legislator and leading the Peace Corps in Ukraine. He also led the Braver Angels initiative to create a bipartisan caucus in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and was a panelist on the NPR show “The Middle”.
Beth Malow is a neurologist and science communicator focused on public health, sleep and climate change. She volunteers as moderator of workshops and debates for Braver Angels, the nation’s leading cross-partisan movement spanning political and societal differences. A TEDx speaker, she has appeared on NPR 1A, PBS NewsHour and other news outlets.