10/17/2024
ELECTION 🗳️SEASON, MENTAL HEALTH, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL & RELATIONAL impact & implications…..
here’s insights from our NPR National Station.
with .repost
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About 1 in 4 people in the U.S. say they’ve ended a friendship due to political disagreements. And many voters say they have few or no friends on the other side of the political aisle.
What’s more, studies show polarization can lead to isolation, stress and anger. And researchers have found the more distant a person feels from the political norm in their state, the worse their reported health.
It’s easy to blame and judge people who don’t share your opinions. But have you ever taken a moment to reflect how your own thoughts, words or actions may add to the vitriol? Turns out, one of the best places to start, when it comes to healing the political divide, is to look inward.
Here’s a question to ask yourself:
“How often do I feel pleasure with friends when ridiculing those on the other political side?”
This comes from Braver Angels’ Depolarizing Within course, which helps Americans bridge the political divide. If your answer is “often,” consider the labels you use: if you lean blue and think of terms like “anti-immigrant” or “bible-thumper,” or if you lean red and use “elitist” or “unpatriotic,” then your inner polarizer is active. Such labels can dehumanize the opposing side and fail to capture the complexity of people’s views.
“We are absolutely not as divided as we think we are,” said Tania Israel, a professor of counseling psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and author of the book Facing the Fracture.
”We think the Democrats and Republicans are much farther apart on the issues than they actually are,” she said. Take gun control. Of course, there’s a divide, but many Democrats and Republicans support gun restrictions. There is some common ground, but more extreme voices often dominate the political discourse.
If this election cycle is causing you distress or tension with people you know, read more about how to engage in conversations with those you disagree with by heading to the link in our bio. Illustration: Maria Fabrizio for NPR
