One of the greatest problems in current American politics is the increasing levels of polarization. This polarization has subsequently lead to more and more people refusing to listen to what the opposing side has to say in favor of name-calling and deeming issues "too sensitive" to discuss.
So in an attempt to alleviate the problem, here are some easy ways to positively impact political discourse.
1. Have an open mind
Everyone likes to think that they're right when it comes to their political beliefs, but that doesn't do much to aid in a discussion with someone of an opposing viewpoint. What's the point in having a discussion if you aren't going to give the other person's ideas the time of day? It is important to create an atmosphere that is conducive to open dialogue so that a free exchange of ideas can take place.
This practice is important not just to create more conversations about relevant issues, but hearing the ideas of others and their arguments can help you bolster your own. Kinda hard to debate someone if you don't even know where they stand. And who knows? You just might learn something new.
2. Don't make it personal
No one likes to be yelled at and or called a bad person just for their political beliefs. That kind of behavior again does not aid in creating an open environment for issues to be resolved. Pretty difficult to have a meaningful conversation when the participants resort to name-calling, character attacks, etc.
Believe it or not, most people have fairly legitimate reasons behind why they view an issue in a particular way. You can't always boil someone's beliefs down to things like, "you just don't care if more kids to die in school shootings!" or "you just like killing unborn babies!" Besides, just makes you look like an asshole.
3. Be educated
We live in the world of "fake news" as a consequence of the ease of access to information and the inundation of opinions on the internet. With all this misinformation floating around out in the ether, it is important to know the facts.
Again, finding these facts can be an immense struggle as Fox and NBC (to use two popular examples) are so far removed from each other it's like watching news from two different countries. An easy way to know what is true is to find where opposing sources agree. Government databases are good places to look for empirical evidence as well as bipartisan findings.
To quote the great Ben Shapiro, "Facts don't care about your feelings". While we may have strong feelings surrounding hot topic issues, it is vital that those feelings do not supersede the facts.
An important thing to remember is as Americans, we are all on the same team. We all want to see our country succeed and in order for that to happen we must work together. We must be able to talk to each other and find the best solutions to our current problems and build skills so we are better equipped for the future.
