Practicing Compassion and Empathy with Those You Disagree With

The act of disagreeing with another can be a tenuous situation filled with plenty of passion and anger

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In the current political climate, disagreements can escalate in a matter of seconds. Finding out a person wears different political colors can quickly lead to an irrational screaming match, where both parties lose the ability to rationally communicate with one another.

I believe a large part of this is due to the media's formula of talking heads screaming at one another, talking over and interrupting the other 'side' in place of any sort of rational dialogue. In our minuscule attention span culture, driven by instant emotional reactions, there's almost no room for disagreement, no context for true discussion.

Everyone is largely caught in their own echo-chamber, whether online or in person. If we are aware that someone disagrees with our point of view, we tend to avoid broaching the subject, as discomfort usually accompanies disagreement.

Demonizing over understanding

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One of the biggest problems present in our world today is the phenomenon of demonizing those who have different views than our own, whether political, religious, or philosophical. If we don't reach the point of viewing these individuals as outright enemies, it's easy to hold contempt or develop a sense of superiority over those with 'inferior' viewpoints.

A major way to reduce friction between sides is to attempt to practice empathy as well as compassion when discussing a heated issue. A person may see something completely different because of their upbringing, their education, their culture, the media, or any number of other factors.

Many liberals have a hard time not viewing all Trump supporters as being inherently racist, nazis, morons, or fascists. Plenty of conservatives see all liberals as being communists, Marxists, or immoral. Lots of anarchists have a difficult time viewing statists as being something other than brainwashed sheeple.

The truth is, regardless of how strongly a person falls in line with a particular ideology, they are still an individual who cannot neatly fall into one category or another. And even if a person's views may be morally reprehensible in one way or another, viewing them as inhuman, less than, or evil will never lead to that person coming to their senses.

Empathy and compassion can be a difficult, but helpful practice to facilitate meaningful dialogue

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The next time you find yourself in a heated debate, attempt to allow a degree of perspective into the discussion. Perhaps that person is particularly attached to their views, however flawed they may be because it is a central part of their identity that they are unwilling to let go of.

Maybe that person doesn't have all of the correct information, and instead of calling them an idiot, calmly explain your position and your current understanding of the facts. Or maybe that person might actually have a broader perspective than your own and have taken into account elements you haven't even thought about.

The moment we label another as being less than ourselves or inhuman, we open the door to all sorts of negative actions against that individual, even to the extent of violence. We also shut the door to any type of real understanding or communication, conveniently removing the possibility that we'll ever be able to hear that person out or perhaps even change their mind.

Even with the most reprehensible viewpoints, a degree of understanding, empathy, and compassion will go a long way to bridging the divide. It's certainly preferable to the alternative.

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