The binary nature of out political system has many disadvantages. The primary disadvantage is that many solutions are more complicated than the “either/or” choices offered in a two party system. Worse than that, these two parties appear to be selecting members by one particular personality trait.

Psychologists call this trait “Openness”. The positive side of this trait is an expectation that the changes that the universe presents us with are overall going to be good for me. The negative side of the trait is a fear that any change in the world will be detrimental to me.

Conservative folks tend to be on the negative side of this personality trait, while Liberals tend to be on the more positive side of the trait. No “rational” argument seems able to change either sides point of view. They both think they are “right”.

Negative Openness or fear is an illusion. Fear presents the individual with a list of the most horrible possible outcomes, with no value for the actual probability of those outcomes. It also provides none of the possible positive outcomes stemming from the events.

Positive Openness explores all those possible positive outcomes, while being willing to consider the effects of the possible negative outcomes.

Being Open doesn’t preclude the opportunity to discuss and consider the negative outcomes of any particular set of circumstances. Being extremely negative to Openness does preclude any rational discussion of the positive outcomes available.

The polarization of these two sides of the political spectrum has gotten so extreme that constructive debate has become almost impossible.

So, how do Progressive thinkers convince Conservative politicians that these ideas are not a threat to survival? We need to speak to their fears and somehow convince them not to be so afraid.

The Conservatives seem to fear the Progressives are going to take something away from them. We must convince them the desire is not to take anything away from them, but to give the same opportunities to everyone so we can all be successful in our lives. Life is not a zero sum game, and we need to convince them of that fact.

Quell fear with understanding.