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The 2018 midterm results are in. And despite two years of creative destruction, consistent anti-environmental policy moves, and the moral degradation of the office of the presidency, Trumpism has not been thoroughly repudiated by America’s voters. Democrats gained a House majority, but it looks like Republicans have locked up the Senate through 2022 at least. Which means that, barring a major political upheaval, hyper-partisan polarization is here to stay.
In the post-election pundit-sphere, talk of criminal justice reform and a possible infrastructure bill provide rays of hope for bipartisan compromise. But the potential for meaningful progress on even these relatively small and sensible issues remains unlikely because of the extreme bitterness that characterizes our divided political duopoly. This bitterness was reflected by CNN commentator Van Jones, who expressed hope for progress on these issues, but then added the sentiment that “most progressives don’t want to work with a lying racist or give him any legislative victories.”
Meanwhile, many centrist-minded post-election editorials are admonishing national leaders to try to bring together the “Exhausted Majority” of Democrats, Republicans, and independents into a new, grassroots “Country Over Party” movement that can overcome hyper-partisanship.
While I applaud this call to “come together,” this hopeful admonition ignores the glaring fact that America’s dysfunctional political turmoil is a cultural problem that is arising upstream from Washington D.C. Calling for a straightforward political fix to this pre-political problem, such as national leaders convening a new centrist party, ignores the cultural nature of the problem. Well meaning establishment centrists are thus looking for a solution to hyperpolarization in the wrong place. This is what is known as the “streetlight effect,” which Wikipedia illustrates with this well-known joke:
“A policeman sees a drunk man searching for something under a streetlight and asks what the drunk has lost. He says he lost his keys and they both look under the streetlight together. After a few minutes the policeman asks if he is sure he lost them here, and the drunk replies, no, and that he lost them in the park. The policeman asks why he is searching here, and the drunk replies, ‘this is where the light is'”
As long as we continue to look for solutions to our governmental gridlock within the confines of politics-as-usual, we will be “looking for our keys” under the proverbial streetlight. As the Institute for Cultural Evolution has been arguing since its inception in 2013, hyperpolarization is not a problem that can be solved by conventional political strategies. The only way to ameliorate this “wicked problem” is to effectively grow out of it.
In response to this need for cultural maturation, my forthcoming book, Developmental Politics, describes a realistic yet inspiring “new politics of culture” through which America can grow into a less polarized version of itself. Although relatively complete, the publication of this book is still some time away. Yet as publication nears I will be sharing more of its ideas and generally preparing to launch the next phase of the Institute for Cultural Evolution’s political and cultural activism.
Please stay tuned, and thank you for your ongoing interest in our work.
— Steve McIntosh, ICE President
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Steve McIntosh & Jeff Salzman visit with two young leaders, Gary Sheng & Zoë Jenkins, who are activating higher consciousness in Generation Z through their organization Civics Unplugged.#CivicsUnplugged #GarySheng #ZoëJenkins #JeffSalzman #SteveMcIntosh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q0gFqJ6vFY
I’m excited to announce my new 9-week online course on post-progressive politics. It’s being produced in partnership with The Aligned Center: https://thealignedcenter.com/institute/becoming-part-of-the-solution/
At last we turn the page on an ugly chapter in our history. While Biden faces difficult challenges, and while his presidency will inevitably have shortcomings, I’m rooting for his success. Biden is poised to take the first steps toward the higher cultural ground our nation needs.
https://www.dailyevolver.com/2021/01/leading-leaders-to-higher-ground/ If you are interested in executive leader development or leadership in general, here's a great episode just for that! Enjoy!
My article just published in Integral Leadership Review: "Why Centrism Fails and How to Overcome Hyperpolarization"
http://integralleadershipreview.com/17747-12-21-why-centrism-fails-and-how-to-overcome-hyperpolarization/?fbclid=IwAR03NT_o57_1aK71EhK7OPy0q0rMv_-C4GtpbCmZeC9eMxHqPZujO58PzaY
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What Does “Transcendence” Mean?
“Transcendence” or “the transcendent” generally refers to the people and things that are ultimately more important than yourself or your perceived self-interest. For example, that which is transcendent for you could include: Your family, humanity, your deepest convictions, the environment, God, Oneness, your country, animals, freedom, adventure, art, science, a better world, or anything you consider authentically “higher.” Your personal ideals of transcendence are grounded in the people and things that you’re dedicated to, and might even lay down your life for, if it became necessary. Your ideals of transcendence therefore help define your life’s higher purposes.
The word transcendence is used in this exercise as an umbrella term that is friendly to both spiritual and secular notions of transcendent higher purposes. In other words, you don’t have to be religious to recognize the significance of transcendent ideals. Our attraction to a greater good that lies beyond ourselves—our ceaseless striving to serve something higher and create something better—is a fundamental part of what makes us human.
The connection between your ideals of transcendence, your virtues, and your basic moral obligations—to self, to others, and to the transcendent—is illustrated by the graphic below. The specific virtues shown in this graphic are the 7 fundamental virtues, but the specific 7 virtues you choose in this exercise may differ from these classical 7.
For more on virtues and their relationship with transcendence, see the book Developmental Politics, by this exercise’s author, Steve McIntosh.
Mr. Troiano words are partly right, but they aren’t going to come from the conservative Republicans …
Your reply is also partly right, but you miss the mark in pretending that forming a centrist party is anything remotely close to straightforward.
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The reality of it is that there is no silver bullet, and proposing the formation of a centrist party in no way amounts to saying that that alone with fix everything. Similarly, saying that we should work on the wider cultural side of it in no way means that the political outcomes will magically solve themselves.
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All very true and important. My only quibble – where did the idea that the Republicans have the Senate locked up through at least 2022 come from? As I understand it, apart from the notorious gerrymandering, voter suppression, etc, the main reason the Democrats failed to win the Senate this time was that not enough winnable Republican seats were up for grabs on this occasion, which will not be the case in 2020. Trump is most unlikely to get any more popular before then (rather the reverse), if he doesn’t get impeached or indicted and this is likley to hand Democrats the Senate, I would think.
Looking forward to your new book!
Can’t wait to hear more!
Excellent, looking forward to reading more!
I’m excitedly looking forward to Developmental Politics. Perfect name for the book you’re the right guy to write!
Article is spot on.