When it comes to political conversations these days, the idea of meaningful dialogue seems almost quaint. As we are reminded when passively doom-scrolling on social media, we live in a deeply polarised world, where every issue has its designated villains.
In such a heated political culture, the thought of actually sitting down with someone who holds views that oppose our own can fill us with dread. The all-too-familiar phrase heard at social gatherings – “Can we please not talk about politics?” – testifies to the discomfort that many feel.
It is often cognitively easier to retreat into the safety ...
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