Reject political tribalism

If you don't have friends with a whole range of political views, then you're doing it wrong. 

Political tribalism might be all the rage, but it's neither helpful nor hopeful. Discontented liberal Helen Pluckrose reckons you should rethink the idea that you should shun the 'other' side cos they're all evil:

"I think several common cognitive biases are in play when we regard an entire political tribe as defined by deeply malevolent qualities. ...

"It has been particularly common to attribute such absolute and blanket condemnation to the political left in recent years and for good reason ... This is not unique to the left however ...

"Why do so many choose to pay much more attention to extreme provocateurs than thoughtful commenters in the first place? Why do we form ourselves into political tribes online despite having the opportunity to access the widest range of views? And why do we feed algorithms in ways that make them feed us back a constant stream of the political narratives we already believe in? ...

"The way to address this is to make deliberate efforts to think better and engage with others in ways that facilitate [improvement] ...

"Avoid echo chambers on social media and read a wide range of media sources. Actively look for people whose philosophical, political or religious views you do not share but whose thinking you can respect. ... [T]ry to develop a more granular understanding of factions and currents on the other side and where they overlap and conflict. Practice being able to convey the stance of those with whom you disagree as they would present it themselves. ...

"[I]ndulging the cognitive biases that make reasonable and ethical people disappear also helps create cultural conditions in which unreasonable and unethical people can take power. We can all play a part in interrupting that process."

John Cochrane however reckons it might be harder to shake off the tribalism than Pluckrose and others might think. That the welfare state itself has baked it in, and we're only now beginning to feel the consequences.

For better or worse, the regulated welfare state substitutes a personal, individual relationship with the central government for the insurance once provided by family, markets, savings, community, church, charity, and local government.

It's taken nearly a century, but those close-knit relationships have been abandoned for many people --around half the country! -- for one with a government paymaster.

"This raises an interesting thought," reflects James Templeton. 

Might it explain to some degree why we seem to be living in an age of hating each other? Might there even be relevance in the onset of the age being marked by so many apostles preaching kindness?

The older the reader, the more readily he or she may agree with the proposition that personal relationships, within families or among friends, are not easy. Particularly when they involve questions of money, dependency and authority.

How much harder when our personal relationship is transferred to the state.