“Most of us aren't sure what to think about everything, but we don't really see that modeled anywhere, right? You're supposed to know for sure, and there's very little intellectual humility on social media or on TV.”

**"How Political Division is Ripping Us Apart—And the Simple Fix"**

Why do we turn every debate into *good vs. Evil*? In times of anxiety, humans crave certainty, forcing the world into rigid camps of "us" and "them." But what if that’s an illusion? In this eye-opening discussion, we uncover the hidden forces fueling division—social media distortion, political “conflict entrepreneurs,” and our own psychological biases.

Turns out, most people *aren’t* as extreme as they seem. But misunderstanding breeds hate, and hate breeds chaos. The good news? There's a proven antidote: real relationships with people who think differently. When we see each other *as we really are*, the walls start to crumble.

Today, you see it among many, many millions of people because there's a lot of anxiety about the future and fear about the present. We assume that the other side is more extreme than it is, partly because we hear so much from them. 95% of political tweets are written by around 10% of users, so we extrapolate and assume everyone on the other side thinks a certain way.

So, are we being manipulated into conflict? And more importantly—can we break free? This episode holds the answers.

About Amanda Ripley:Amanda Ripley is a New York Times bestselling author, Washington Post contributor, and co-founder of consultancy firm, Good Conflict. Her books include The Smartest Kids in the World, High Conflict, and The Unthinkable.

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