We’re quick to cancel or label, and repeat. Polarising opinions and straw man arguments abound, leaving very little room for healthy debate and honest self reflection and growth.  Yet despite what angry twitter tirades and every news channel would have us believe: you probably have more in common with the person who slightly disagrees with you than the radical in your corner. Said in another way: there is much more that unites most of us than divides us.

Far from just wishful, soppy sentiment, political science studies back me up on this... take the horseshoe theory for example. It shows how most people are ‘moderate’ in their views.

Far from just wishful, soppy sentiment, political science studies back me up on this... take the horseshoe theory for example. It shows how most people are ‘moderate’ in their views. Whether they fall slightly left or right in the political spectrum, they are actually far closer in ideology to one another than they are to extremists on either far side of the spectrum. More surprisingly, and beautifully ironically perhaps: the political spectrum actually curves (like a horseshoe) so that the extreme-right and extreme-left end up closer to each other than they do to moderates or centrists in the middle. Said in another way, those on the far sides of the extremes (while seeming to be the furthest from each other) actually begin to resemble one another and are more alike than they would ever choose to acknowledge!

The outspoken author, Mark Manson, references this fact in one of his pieces, observing: 

“The extremes of each side of the political spectrum generally support more authoritarian states if it means accomplishing their goals. They are both willing to suppress civil liberties, especially of their enemies. They're both likely to see the world in stark (and often similar) us/them dichotomies.”

So where does that leave the majority of us? The weary middle – pulled and pushed in so many directions and baraged by so many opinions?

Well, for starters, let’s embrace what unites us. Yes, we may disagree on so many things, but let’s choose to remember that most people just want the same things. Let’s resist the temptation to ‘write off’ others who may think differently from us, but rather seek to engage and learn from every person we meet – be it in person or online. 

While we’re at it, let’s embrace our differences too. People who think differently to us aren’t two-dimensional, terrible people. Differences of opinions aren’t hate. In fact, they’re essential and healthy in any free society. 

And finally, let’s be a little more humble about our own blindspots. We all have them... the specks and logs in our eyes that stop us from sometimes seeing ourselves, or another person, or a situation as it really is. The first and most important step to removing that speck (or log) is simply acknowledging it – appreciating that of course you’re biased by your own experience and interests. Of course, this doesn’t mean we can’t carry deep convictions, it just means we don’t measure everyone by them.

As a final thought – this idea of staying radically centred is a lot like driving a car... the key to staying on the road (and not carreering off it) is to not hold too tightly to the steering wheel, but to hold it lightly, making room for small, slight corrections to the left and then to the right, adapting to the curves life throws us.

May we stay humble, stay connected and stay different too – and all get to our desired destination.