Otherizing - Braver Angels

Otherizing

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This week…impugning the motives of “the other” (frightening) was especially popular, as was name-calling (seducing). The short-hand “tribing” technique of damning-by-labelling was also in evidence, using such “neutral” labels as conservative…right wing…liberal…leftist…libtards (!) to smugly titillate the “in–the–know” base. And plenty of emotion-charged words like asinine, obliterate, doom, attack, dangerous, corruption, slash and targeting were used to flatter fellow insiders rather than advance the issue, thus widening rather than narrowing the conflict gap.

When reading these examples, check the above list and ask yourself: regardless of whether you agree or disagree, is this really advancing an intelligent resolution through the persuasive, rational arguments of advocacy…or simply fueling the fire of conflict through the divisive, emotional manipulations of polarization?

Here are this week’s most polarizing news articles, from the left and right:

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