It’s no secret that the United States is divided—politically, economically, culturally. But the question is: Why?
Historically, most Americans felt a great sense of pride in being part of this grand experiment. Sure, there were differences. Divergent opinions—there’s no doubt. Regardless, there was something in the American spirit that seemed to bring us all together (at least on the surface).
So, what happened?
Some like to point to COVID-19 as the culprit. Certainly, a worldwide pandemic can bring out the worst in people. Ever think you would hoard toilet paper? Many did!
But can we really single out the greedy behavior that comes to the fore during a seeming life-or-death struggle (even if that “struggle” is real or imagined), as an indicator of a massive cultural shift?
Some kind of weird survival of the fittest behavior, maybe. But driver of a societal divide? I think not.
Others have suggested that the divides were always there and were just simmering under the surface. Probably some truth to that notion. But the country has made tremendous strides, especially in the last century, in creating opportunities for all of its citizens.
Can a deep-rooted sense of the differences between the “haves” and “have-nots” be the catalyst that has led to where we are today—a place where Americans have completely lost their ability to “hear” and understand an opposing point of view? Quite unlikely.
Still others believe that social media is the motivating factor underpinning the situation.
It does enable anyone with access to a computer to have, and share, an opinion, including every radical, nihilist, and crackpot on the planet.
While social platforms certainly serve as accelerants, because their ability to enable their users to instantaneously send missives into the stratosphere without much (if any) effective guardrails to manage the risks that come with the dissemination of misinformation, they are merely a contributing factor to America’s “great divide.”
None of these is the root cause of what we are going through at the moment.
It is my contention that it is the pursuit of certainty that is the source of our country’s frustrating divide.
The Need for Certainty Has Seduced Us
In the past, Americans were quite comfortable with the idea that there were things a person might not know. It wasn’t threatening to us, as individuals, to recognize that there are still things to learn. But today you cannot be wrong!
Yes, there is comfort in knowing. Scary things are less threatening when we think we know how they came to be.
But what if we are misinformed? What if the sources we turn to for insight are only presenting their side of the story? Worse, what if those sources are using fear to influence us? What if they are presenting us with “facts” that are intended to raise our ire? What if they want us to distrust one another?
The fact is: Thinking is hard! It’s not a relaxing exercise. But once you are certain about something, your brain can relax. So, we seek out sources that present us with facts that we can be certain about. In this way, we exert no critical thinking to “test” the truths we are being provided. Rather, we accept what we are told. Indeed, we are certain.
And We Are Dumber
Clearly, this is lazy. However, it is identity-strengthening. After all, we feel less alone when we signal who we are and others agree with us (and we get that little dopamine rush that comes from believing we are smarter than we actually are).
The problem is, of course, that this way of operating is where confirmation bias and identity politics come from—and Americans suffer from both in ways we never imagined possible.
Gone is the esprit de corps that once made America the envy of the rest of the world, and, because we no longer think critically—preferring, instead, to be fed “information” we can be “certain” of—we are dumber than ever before.
All of this behavior closes the door to learning. In fact, many of us can no longer “hear,” let alone understand, a differing point of view.
In effect, a differing POV is seen as threatening. It triggers a “fight or flight” response in us. Many of us go into attack mode. We choose to vilify those who don’t believe as we do. We resort to name-calling as we argue for our side…or worse.
Surely, it’s a scary thought that we might be wrong. We fear that we are losing our “place” in the world. What happens to us if we believe in ways that are counter to the “team” that we believe we are on? This kind of thinking is unreasonable, don’t you think?
Over time, we become less intellectually curious. We lose the ability to reason. We become mentally dull.
What to Do
As a leadership coach, I help clients resist the urge to take the easy way out, urging them, instead, to remain rationally astute. Here are some of the ideas that have aided clients in not falling prey to the allure of certainty:
Give your “contrarian muscle” a workout. I’m not suggesting that we become the epitome of a devil’s advocate. But there is great value to be derived when we consider a different way to look at a set of circumstances—and, more importantly, make the effort to discover additional facts that may help us to change our way of thinking about those conditions.
Recognize the difference between confidence and certainty. There is a difference! Confidence is trust in oneself. The feeling of security comes from within. Certainty, on the other hand, is having the conviction that something is true. It comes from conflating a subjective truth into an objective one. The implication here is that one can be confident and still feel comfortable with uncertainty, and to be so should not make us doubt our identity.
Boost curiosity. This begins by routinely asking “Why?” and “How?” This is particularly important to do when presented with new “facts.” Regardless of the source of the information, the habit helps us fine-tune our critical thinking. Additionally, reading widely and interacting with people with differing points of view (and actually listening to them to cultivate understanding) can expand our thinking and feed our curiosity about things we do not fully understand.
In conclusion, let me suggest that while certainty is emotionally alluring, it is intellectually dangerous. As explained above, it “dumbs” us down and weakens our ability to think for ourselves—a one-time virtue for many Americans.
That said: If you apply even one or two of these consistently, you’ll begin to think more clearly again, and that can be precious—especially in an epoch that requires us to make life choices among less-than-stellar options.