The Three Languages of Politics: Talking Across the Political Divides

If we recognize when people who agree with us are trying to close our minds and shut down discussion, then we have a chance to participate in a more deliberative process.

each of us can reason more constructively and deliberate more effectively across political tribes if we recognize that we tend to be overly attuned to our preferred language.

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

More polarization exists among well-informed voters than among poorly informed voters.

We can reduce our level of political anger by better understanding the other languages.

The three axes allow each tribe to assert moral superiority.

call this the three-axes model of political communication. A progressive will communicate along the oppressor-oppressed axis, framing issues in terms of the P dichotomy. A conservative will communicate along the civilization-barbarism axis, framing issues in terms of the C dichotomy. A libertarian will communicate along the liberty-coercion axis, f

we also can improve our self-regard by rationalizing our behavior when we violate social norms.

Communicating using the preferred axis of the tribe is good for reassuring others of one’s loyalty to the tribe, for lifting a person’s status in the tribe by pleasing those who agree with him or her, and for whipping up hostility against other tribes. What political language is not good for is persuading people outside one’s tribe or improving rel