I certainly have many convictions when it comes to political issues, but I try hard to see the “other” side as human — because they are! It’s difficult at times, but it’s something I try to be aware of.
Some people don’t think that way, and keep more of an “I’m 100% right and you’re 100% wrong” mentality. In Mónica Guzmán’s excellent book “I Never Thought Of It That Way“, she shared a stat that I found to be amazing:
A month before the 2020 election, nine out of ten registered voters, from both parties, thought a win by the other side would do “lasting harm” to our country.
If I had to guess, most of those people have the same feelings today. Those that voted for Biden are thankful that Trump didn’t cause more harm, whereas Trump voters are sure that what Biden has done over the last few years is indeed “lasting harm”.
As always, I encourage you to take the time to read books that you disagree with, consider viewpoints that seem strange to you, and hang out with friends that have different ideas than you. I’m not encouraging you to change your views, whatever they might be, but simply take the time to get to understand those “other” people so you can show more empathy and be better informed why people might have opinions different than yours, and their reasons might not be as crazy as you think.
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