fbpx

High Stress Situation

Not even counting all of the other pandemic stress, we have this unbelievably testy election coming up. A lot of people are really cranky with anyone who sees anything different from what they see and believe themselves. 

How did we get so incredibly polarized, so intolerant of the “Other.” For sure, this didn’t start with the current president but, I agree, whoa, it’s gotten really bad. And I’m scratching my head trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

What’s Going On?

For one thing, back in the day when our modern human brains were being formed, it is likely that those who stuck with their own, and were wary of others who were different, had better chances of survival. And those who survived got their genes into the next generation and the next and so on ‘til here we are. So the idea that we are hardwired with radar for “Other” makes sense.

Then again, we have a higher cortex now that allows us to override our primitive nature, and where is that when we need it, like now.

I, for one, do not expect the polarization to weaken no matter who wins. It might even get worse when the election is over, if it is ever over.

Take a look at this Duke University study that crossed my desk, “Desire to Be in a Group Leads to Harsher Judgment of Others.” It’s only one study, but what they found was that it was not the strength of one’s political views—but the desire to be ‘groupy’ itself—that made people more likely to discriminate against people outside of their group.

Out, Out damned two party system. But what is the alternative to the tribal ‘I’m good; you’re bad. I’m right; you’re wrong’ that we are so locked into now?

What Would Help?

I actually do not know what would be a better alternative. The Danish multi-party Parliament, as depicted in Season 1 of Borgen on Netflix, does not appear to be it. But I do believe that when we find it — when we are able to transcend party in some constructive way — the extremes of each party will weaken. Then we can all start to live in a world that feels a little more sane than the one in which we live now.

And wouldn’t that be nice. Keep on doin’ what we are doin’, keep on getting what we get. So please let us know what you think could work better than the way we are doing things now.

Warm wishes,

Madelaine