Should We Be Aiming for Unity And Ending Toxic Polarization? A Top Expert on Conflict Resolution Weighs In

Let's Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

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5 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 April 2021

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Joe Biden became president he wanted to bring Americans together, to forge unity. But maybe unity isn’t what we should aim for. Our guest this week says instead of focusing on that elusive goal, Americans need to concentrate on what’s damaging all of us: toxic polarization. In this episode we look at what toxic polarization is and how to end it, person by person. Peter Coleman has advised the Biden administration on how to detoxify America. He is a mediator and psychologist who specializes in conflict resolution. A professor of psychology and education at Columbia University, he is the author of the forthcoming book, The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.

Transcript

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0:00.0	When President Joe Biden took office, he said he wanted to unify Americans,
0:04.5	to bring people together after years of sniping, division, and worse.
0:09.5	But maybe unity is too much to expect right now.
0:12.7	We may need to start with something more basic,
0:15.7	ending the toxic polarization that keeps so many of us from understanding one another.
0:26.5	This is Let's Find Common Ground.
0:28.8	I'm Ashley Mellentite.
0:30.8	And I'm Richard Davies. In this episode, we speak to a leading expert in conflict resolution,
0:36.3	whose advice the Biden campaign on how to bring Americans closer together,
0:41.3	starting with a simple act, sitting down, and listening.
0:47.3	But Peter Coleman says time is of the essence,
0:50.3	and the new administration needs to act now to take advantage of the current moment.
0:55.3	Peter is a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University.
1:00.3	He's a mediator and the author of an upcoming book called The Way Out.
1:05.3	How to overcome toxic polarization.
1:08.3	Ashley, you kick us off.
1:11.3	Peter, you use this term toxic polarization.
1:14.3	What is it?
1:15.3	In politics, there is a tendency for us to sort of prefer to gather with people
1:21.3	that are similar to us or be repulsed by or move away from those that are different from us.
1:27.3	And in a two-party system like we have here,
1:30.3	it's critically important that there be some degree of polarization and opposition,
	...

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