After the “blue tsunami,” how do we move forward as one country? How do we fulfill our national motto of e pluribus unum — out of many, one?
Here are 3 practices from The Anti-Debate that can help us unify — in the classroom, boardroom, or bedroom 😉
1. STEEL-MANNING — Find the strength in the opposing view
Straw-manning represents the *weakest* version of the opposing view, whereas steel-manning represents its *strongest* version. Challenge yourself to articulate the best-faith version of the opposing view, in a way that might even convince...you.
2. RED-TEAMING — Find the weakness in your own view
If steel-manning is about seeing the strength in the opposing view, red-teaming is about seeing the weakness in your own. Ask yourself: where is my position least solid? Where do I feel most doubtful?
3. SYNTHESIS-SEEKING — Integrate different perspectives into a bigger picture
Instead of choosing between different perspectives, explore how they might be integrated into a higher-order synthesis. Ask yourself:
Is there an either/or that can be flipped to a both/and?
Is there an opportunity to shift from ‘what’s right: X or Y?’ to ‘under what circumstances (if any) is X or Y useful?’
Are there perverse incentives that keep us trapped in conflict — and could changing those incentives help us move forward?
The goal isn’t to meet in the middle or eliminate differences, but to make our differences generative.
May steel-manning, red-teaming, and synthesis-seeking enable us to use our different perspectives on our most important issues not to further divide us, but to see those issues with greater complexity.