After Trump Shooting, Four Ways to Lower the Temperature

After the attempted assassination of former President Trump, many people are wondering, “What can we do to bring down the temperature of our political discourse? What can we do to reduce the toxic division around us? What can we do to make things like this much less likely?”

Here are some actionable steps we can all take to help achieve these goals:

1. Consider how emotions are affecting our reactions. Our reactions are important and can amplify toxicity or help reduce it. One way to examine where our thinking may be going wrong is to do a “turnabout test”: imagine if Biden had been shot instead. How would you react? How do you think others would react? What narratives would dominate in that case? This exercise can help us notice how bias and emotions may be making our or others’ takes less reasonable and more divisive.
2. Don’t equate the actions of individuals with entire political groups. Conflict can make us see our adversaries as a unified, monolithic mass. This can lead to conflating bad actions done by individuals (like the shooter) with whole groups. This drives toxicity and contempt. It’s crucial to recognize that individuals’ actions do not represent entire political groups.
3. Be vigilant of false information and conspiracy theories. Big, emotion-producing events often lead to a flood of bad information. Some of this bad information will (intentionally or not) increase our anger and fear. When you see information that provokes anger or fear, look into it more to ensure it’s true and that important nuance isn’t missing. Here are some tips for spotting wrong and distorted information. 
4. Push back on divisive behaviors. Be courageous in criticizing divisive, dehumanizing rhetoric where you find it — especially among your political allies. We’ll have the most influence and impact in our own “in-group.” Even if it feels awkward or uncomfortable, working to reduce divisive, dehumanizing behavior is essential.

Working to lower the temperature doesn’t mean we can’t be politically active. We can work towards our political goals while not adding to contempt and toxicity. We can harshly criticize our political opponents without dehumanizing and insulting them — being “hard on issues but soft on people.”

These are just a few of the ways we can contribute to a healthier, less toxic political environment — and thereby help reduce the likelihood of violent extremism. 

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