An Emotions Beat episode about why we hate the other side — and what that hate does to us.

A week before the election, Yowei talks with social psychologist Jay Van Bavel about political sectarianism: the emotional force that turns political disagreement into disgust, fear, and moral certainty that the other side is not just wrong, but evil.  

The question is not whether politics matter. They do. The question is whether our anger is helping us act — or just pulling us deeper into the outrage machine.

In this episode, Yowei and Jay investigate out-group hate, caricatures of the other side, political hobbyism, social media pile-ons,, and how to stay politically engaged without becoming less effective, less.  curious, or easier to manipulate.

From the episode: 

— Jay Van Bavel — author of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony— more about his work: www.jayvanbavel.com

—The paper on political sectarianism

—X and Instagram: @jayvanbavel

New to Proxy? Try Bisexual Wife Guy for a classic case, or Nicole Can’t Stop Being Aggro for another story about what it takes to keep caring when the world is horrifying. 

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