Purity Is the Enemy of Progress

Purity Is the Enemy of Progress

America is split. Congress is?as polarized as it’s ever been?and?less productive, and the rifts of division run so deep most of us?aren’t willing to date someone?with different political beliefs. Polarization has spawned a political?purity test?to make sure everyone perfectly matches our personal ideals. We are so unwilling to compromise that we aren’t even?allowing our?representatives to compromise — which is their job.

If we send elected officials to Congress with mandates to stop the other party by?obstructing,?disagreeing, and arguing, how can we ever expect them to get anything done? Our Constitution and the U.S. government’s system of checks and balances (which?was itself a compromise)?requires?compromise.?Focusing on remaining “pure”?and?never?compromising keeps us from achieving the sweeping changes needed to solve our country’s — and the world’s — problems.

When we focus on our partisan differences, we often overlook the?things we have in common. If we desire?compromise, we have to vote for it — with our attention on social media and cable news, in the ballot box, and, maybe most importantly, by telling our friends and family that we as individuals are willing to compromise on the most important issues of the day in order to find solutions and make progress.

Make It A Habit:

How to approach discussions about issues with compromise and bipartisanship in mind:

1. Be informed. The very founding of the United States and?writing of its Constitution?was a?series of compromises. Keep this principle in mind when thinking about today’s political climate.
2. Know what a?classic compromise?looks like. It may come as a rude awakening, but compromise not only involves getting less than we want, it involves getting even less than we?think?we deserve.
3. Talk to others. Fighting division and finding a middle ground is a team sport. It’s worth sharing the work we’re doing to convince others it’s worth it.

Updates from our movement:

• How do we stay at the table and make sure everyone has a seat? This past week, Tennessee saw two state representatives ousted from their positions after they joined a protest on the chamber floor. (Since then, one of the representatives?has been reinstated.) We?asked?the SWU community how we move forward from here and what this means for how we reach across lines of difference. ????
• “I can’t stand that I almost missed out on this friendship because of my own assumptions.” Courage is never easy and often uncomfortable, but that’s what it takes to address our own internal biases.?Watch the latest episode?of our Make It A Habit series on Instagram.?????