I was thinking about…

Finding Empathy Across the Political Divide

by Andy Lee

Let’s be honest – our political discourse has become toxic, with people treating those who hold opposing views as complete adversaries to be crushed rather than fellow citizens whose perspectives deserve understanding.

I get that certain issues carry high personal stakes depending on our circumstances and moral foundations. But that doesn’t excuse abandoning all capacity for empathy and good-faith efforts to appreciate where contrasting viewpoints originate.

At the end of the day, most of us want similar basic things out of life. We all share yearnings for safety, security, dignity and the ability to pursue our version of the American Dream unimpeded.

Rather than demonizing the other side, shouldn’t we initially try to understand the intrinsic values, fears or life experiences informing their worldviews? Meet them halfway on that human level before hardening into partisan stances?

I’m not saying we must validate every belief, no matter how extreme or misinformed. There’s a line where abnegating ethical boundaries means prioritizing accountability over empathy for bad-faith actors.

But I’d argue most ideological clashes still involve well-intentioned people simply prioritizing different dimensions to complex challenges – not villains hell-bent on oppressing others out of sheer malice.

So wouldn’t solving issues become easier if we committed to seeking the empathetic human core motivating positions we disagree with, rather than devolving into partisan mudslinging that assumes nefarious intent?

Many hot-button issues boil down to pragmatic strategies for achieving shared aspirational goals, just framed as irreconcilable rhetoric disregarding the obvious overlapping values fueling civic discourse.

Reaffirming that foundation of common hopes and fears could automatically make conversations less toxic. And who knows, that mutual empathy and recognition might illuminate crazy third-options synthesizing both perspectives satisfactorily too.

After such unproductive, perpetual partisan bloodsport, don’t we owe ourselves as human beings the effort of exhausting empathy before escalating to zero-sum battles over potentially reconcilable differences?

Stay curious about each other’s shared humanity first! ✌️