To Polarize or Not to Polarize...

My head is spinning a little from a personal paradigm shift. This week, I finished listening to Bart Brandsma's excellent podcast series (in English) on polarisation. This morning, I read Sander Schimmelpenninck's article on 'right-wing stupidity' (in Dutch). A week ago, I would have seen Sander's standpoint as an attempt to convince readers that a faction of people is using falsehoods to promote undemocratic ideals and that we should confront this, by naming the stupidity and shaming the people accepting the stupidity. Whether or not I agree with him, I would have understood his tactics: when you violently disagree with something and believe it to be harmful, you have to speak out. But Bart's polarisation framework has changed my perspective. To start with, both agree on the fact that polarisation can be important and useful. But Bart points at the different roles in polarisation. The Pusher is on the extreme (pole), looking for fuel to stay in the spotlight, hoping to find Joiners. Note: there are always two Pushers. Bridge Builders believe they can play a role as neutral mediator, using rational arguments. They usually fail.

Brandsma then states that the secret to polarisation management is to work with the 'Silent Middle' (those that have not joined yet). To be curious and find what dilemma's haunt them. The secret to preventing damage from polsarisation lies in 'leading the middle'. Sander - by acting as a journalist from the Correspondent - takes the position of the neutral observer. But he behaves like a Pusher. And what do Pusher's do? They provide fuel, also for the other Pusher, intensifying the polarisation, creating more pressure for the silent middle to Join or become Scapegoat (another role you can end up in if the two opposing parties no longer tolerate a 3rd position). Sander explains his emotional address by stating that you sometimes have to polarize. In fact, he pleas for polarization. Because this cause is too important to nuance, compromise. If you feel this way, no problem. Simply embrace the fact that you are a Pusher.

However, if you want to "help people understand the world better by employing a new kind of independent journalism that does not succumb to mediahypes", the Correspondent's mission, you should listen carefully to Bart's words, based on decades of research and engagement in polarized situations. Don't fuel the fire but become curious about the dilemma's of the silent middle (not the Pushers nor the Joiners). Harder to do but with more promise of creating value for society.