It’s no secret that the United States is politically, economically, and culturally divided. But the question is: Why?
Historically, most Americans have felt a sense of pride in being a part of this great experiment. Of course, there were differences. Different opinions – no doubt. Regardless, there was something about the American spirit that seemed to bring us all together (at least on the surface).
So what happened?
Some want to point out COVID-19 as a sinner. Of course, a worldwide pandemic can bring out the worst in people. Have you ever thought that you would collect toilet paper? Many did!
But can we really isolate greedy behavior that occurs during an apparent life-or-death struggle (even if that “struggle” is real or imagined) as an indicator of massive cultural change?
Some kind of strange survival of the fittest behavior, perhaps. But the driver of community discord? I don’t think so.
Others suggested that the divisions had always existed and were just bubbling under the surface. This opinion is probably correct. But the country, especially in the last century, has made great strides in creating opportunities for all its citizens.
Could this deep sense of difference between the “haves” and the “have-nots” be the catalyst that has led us to the point where Americans have completely lost the ability to “hear” and understand opposing points of view? Most likely.
Others believe this Social media is a motivating factor of the situation.
It allows anyone with access to a computer to have and share an opinion, including every radical, nihilist, and crackpot on the planet.
While social platforms certainly serve as accelerators, given their ability to allow their users to send missives instantly into the stratosphere, without effective shelters (if any) to manage the risks that come with disseminating false information, they are only one contributing factor to America’s “great divide.”
None of these are the root cause of what we are experiencing now.
In my opinion, the search for certainty is the source of the frustrating division in our country.
The need for certainty has deceived us
In the past, Americans were very comfortable with the idea that there are things that man does not know. It was not threatening to us, as individuals, to admit that there were still things to be learned. But today you can’t go wrong!
Yes, it is comforting to know. Terrible things are less threatening when we think we know how they came to be.
But what if we are misinformed? What if the sources we turn to for insight only present their side of things? Worse, what happens if these sources are used fear affect us? What if they present us with “facts” that make us angry? What if they want us disbelief each other?
The truth is: Thinking is hard! This is not a relaxing exercise. But when you are confident about something, your brain can relax. So we look for sources that give us facts that we can trust. In this way, we do not think critically to “test” the truths we are given. Instead, we accept what we are told. Indeed, we are sure.
And we are stupid
Obviously, this is lazy. However, it is personality– development of. After all, when we show who we are and others agree with us, we feel less alone (and we get that a little dopamine a rush that is smarter than we believe).
The problem, of course, is where this method works confirmation bias and personality politics have come, and Americans are suffering from both in ways we never thought possible.
It’s gone esprit de corps that once America envy from the rest of the world, and because we no longer think critically (instead we can feed on “information”), we are more stupid than ever.
All such behavior closes the door to learning. In fact, many of us “hear”, let alone understand, different points of view.
In fact, a different POV is seen as a threat. It triggers the “fight or flight” response in us. Many of us go into attack mode. We choose to slander those who do not believe as we do. When we argue our case…or worse, we resort to name-calling.
Of course, it’s a scary thought that we could be wrong. We are afraid that we will lose our “place” in the world. What happens to us if we believe in ways that contradict the “team” we are on? That kind of thinking is absurd, isn’t it?
Over time, we become less intellectually curious. We lose the ability to reason. We become mentally dull.
What to do
As a leadership As a coach, I help clients resist the urge to take the easy way out and encourage them to be smart. Here are some ideas that have helped clients avoid the certainty trap:
- Exercise your “opposite muscles”: I do not suggest that we are an example of a supporter of the devil. But great value comes when we consider a different way of looking at a set of circumstances and, more importantly, discover additional evidence that can help us change the way we think about these circumstances.
- The difference between confidence and certainty: There is a difference! Confidence is self-confidence. A sense of security comes from within. On the other hand, certainty is that something is true. It comes from connecting a subjective truth to an objective truth. The implication here is that one can have faith and still feel comfortable with the certainty of the United Nations, and it should not make us question our identity.
- Increase Curiosity: It starts with regularly asking “Why?” and “How?” This is especially important when presented with new “facts”. Regardless of the source of information, habit helps us fine-tune our critical thinking. Additionally, reading widely and interacting with people who have different points of view (and actually listening to them to develop understanding) can broaden our minds and increase our curiosity about things we don’t fully understand.
In closing, let me suggest that while certainty is emotionally appealing, it is intellectually dangerous. As explained above, it makes us “dumb” and weakens our ability to think for ourselves – a once-in-a-lifetime virtue for many Americans.
That said: If you apply even one or two of these consistently, you’ll think more clearly again, and that can be priceless — especially in an era that requires us to make life’s choices among less-than-stellar options.
