Divided We Stand. . . Or Do We?

Americans today seem more divided than ever, with conservatives and liberals locked in endless battles over hot-button issues like gun control, gay marriage, taxes and regulation. The media loves to highlight the discord - after all, conflict sells! But what if we're not actually as far apart ideologically as we think? What if, deep down, we share more common ground than our political rhetoric suggests? Consider this: 88% of Americans fear the rise of artificial intelligence and its potential consequences. 58% worry about falling victim to scams or fraud. And a whopping 76% fret over their kids' excessive screen time. Sound like partisan issues? Hardly! These are universal concerns that transcend left-right divides. But our shared anxieties don't stop there. Across the political spectrum, we tend to feel warmly towards institutions like the National Park Service (76%), NASA (67%) and even the U. S. Postal Service (72%). Who would've guessed that a government mail carrier could bring us all together? Then there are things most Americans agree they dislike - like infidelity in relationships (89% frown upon it), human cloning experiments (84% say no way), and North Korea's Kim Jong Un (91% give him the thumbs down). You can almost picture a nation rolling its collective eyes at these unpopular ideas. But we're not just united by our dislikes. We share plenty of fun, wholesome pastimes too! 80% watch fireworks on July 4th. 92% leave tips for servers (or claim to). 83% keep their phones within arm's reach at all times. And a solid majority decorates for the holidays. Most importantly, we hold certain core beliefs in common - like freedom of speech and religion (both supported by over 80%). We insist on equal treatment under the law (91%) and privacy rights (88%). These are non-negotiable principles that form America's bedrock values. So if we agree on so many fundamentals, why does it seem like we're always at each other's throats? One theory: we vastly overestimate how much our political opponents disagree with us. We imagine them as monolithic blocs marching in lockstep - when the reality is a lot messier and more nuanced. A 2018 study found that Republicans wildly exaggerate the number of Democrats who belong to unions (37% vs. an actual 11%). Meanwhile, Democrats inflate how many Republicans earn over $250k per year (33% vs. a measly 2%). So we're not as far apart as we think. . . and they're not either! We just don't hear about the common ground often enough to remember it exists. The media has no incentive to highlight our similarities, but perhaps we should make more of an effort. After all, if we can agree on anything - from hating scammers and Kim Jong Un to cherishing freedom and equality - maybe we're not so