Let me preface this by stating I don't know the answer. I only have ideas that may or may not work in practise. I unfortunately don't have a magical cure for the world's problems.
But I think this line of thinking may be part of the solution.
Politics over the past few decades has become increasingly partisan and hostile. Not just in the glaring examples of the US and UK, but it feels across the planet we're failing to find ways to either compromise or agree to disagree. All sides seem to agree this is happening, but then point the finger across the aisle to find blame.
We've got to stop being so sure that we're right.
There are facts and figures for a lot of issues, but how many things do all sides take as fact when it has more to do with opinion? I'm just about as socially progressive as they come, but is a woman's right to choose indisputably more important to a fetus getting a chance at life? Should a homosexual couple have the right to be married when they could otherwise enter into a legal agreement of equal standing? I'm pro-life and support marriage being about love, not gender, but these are differences we have with our neighbors, colleagues and maybe even friends. Why would you not try to reach out to understand these people better?
That's the key takeaway; understanding. We don't have to agree or respect each other's opinions. That, in reality, is an impossible task. But we need to start listening and trying to comprehend things from a different perspective. I've spent the past couple of years doing this, and I have to say it's VERY hard. I've found that some people have a thought process that works fundamentally differently than my own. It's trying to fabricate a new persona from conjecture and asking the right questions to the right people.
But it's worth it.
The more I learn the easier it is to have a meaningful and constructive conversation with people across the aisle. Maybe not change minds, but at least leave both parties with new information that could be used to form better, more nuanced positions.
I hope this, at least, we can agree on.
