From the Center
This viewpoint is from a writer rated Center.
How can I depolarize myself? How can I depolarize others in my network?
I searched across the web for thought leaders who can help answer these questions. The links below are all from early 2021.
Some links are nearly entirely personal, like how to avoid falling into cognitive traps that can lead to polarization.
Other links include suggestions that involve those in your network, though they can require some change and effort at an individual level as well — such as how to have better conversations or how to be friends with political opposites.
Here’s some of the best depolarization media, including articles and podcasts, from early 2021:
How to Avoid Falling into Cognitive Traps that Can Worsen Political Divides
- Psychology Today, How Psychology Can Help Heal a Divided Country by Myra Altman Ph.D.
- How Do We Fix It? Podcast, #292 Why We Need Nuance: Meghan Daum
How to Open People’s Minds to Potentially Change
- The New York Times, The Science of Reasoning With Unreasonable People by Adam Grant
How to Have Better Conversations
- TED, How to have constructive conversations (Julia Dhar | TED Salon DWEN) by Julia Dhara
- Psychology Today, How Conversation Can Heal Our Nation by Lise Deguire Psy.D.
How to Be a Better “Bridger”
- Civic Health Project Blog, America Needs Fighters. It also Needs Bridgers by Kristin Hansen
How to be Friends with Political Opposites
- Media Roundtable Podcast, Great Minds Don’t Always Think Alike - Bipodisan Shows How Media Can Help Us Heal with Jean Card and Robert Schlesinger
Jackson Lanzer is a high school senior and a young professional member of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. He has contributed to contestedpolitics.com and is now writing depolarizing articles. His writing has been referenced in USA Today, and he has won several regional Scholastic Writing Awards. Jackson has a Center bias.
This piece was edited by News Editor Micaela Ricaforte (Center bias), and was reviewed by James Coan (Center bias). Correspondence can be directed to [email protected].
