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May 17, 2023 47 mins

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Are Our Political Rivals As Bad As We Think They Are?
For the great majority of my life I had no interest in politics. It was not until after 9/11 that I had any interest whatsoever in anything any politician had to say. The only thing about politics I was certain of was that I didn't want anything to do with politics. For many that I knew, their stories were similar. In the past decade, or decade and a half, that has steadily been changing. People across the political spectrum are becoming more entrenched in their political beliefs, maybe overconfident in their beliefs, and allowing their political beliefs to become part of their core identities. For some, lines have been drawn and their political rivals are now thought of as enemies. I believe though, the question must be asked; are our political rivals as bad as we think they are?

Who is Daniel F. Stone?
A short time back I came across a fascinating article when searching topics for the work I do in the depolarization space. I knew immediately that the author of "Your political rivals aren’t as bad as you think – here’s how misunderstandings amplify hostility", found at theConversation.com, was someone who I wanted to speak with.

Dan Stone is an Associate Professor of Economics that has been teaching in the Economics department at Bowdoin since 2012 and prior to that I was assistant professor at Oregon State University from 2008-2012. Dan's research is on belief formation, political media, polarization, and inter-personal hostility (a.k.a. affective polarization).  Dan's recently released book, "Undue Hate" dives in to "How to understand the mistakes we make about those on the other side of the political spectrum—and how they drive the affective polarization that is tearing us apart."

Learn more about and connect with Daniel F. Stone by checking out the full show notes for this episode at DerateTheHate.com.

What have you done today to make your life a better life? What have you done today to make the world a better place? The world is a better place if we are better

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

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