Value Relating

Love is power, far more powerful than mere politics. We need a lot more love and a lot less politics. Let’s do it.

 

Let love’s power spark in you today. Then together we’ll spread need-affirming love like wildfire.

 

It may help to define what we’re talking about here. So let’s first define politics, polarization, and the Empower Politics remedy.

 

Politics defined

 

Anakelogy regards politics as

• the art of generalizing

• how to agreeably address needs

• in differing social situations.

 

Differing social situations shape your psychosocial needs, in contrasting ways.  You agree more with others sharing your experience of psychosocial needs, and less with those who don’t. You generalize along party lines to gain broad support for your needs, avoiding vulnerable and potentially disagreeable specifics.

 

Politics artfully emerges whenever you need something from others. You cannot possibly know everyone enough to ask them on a personal basis. So politics fills that gap. Politics shapes laws. Laws impersonally convey needs, complementing how emotions personally convey needs.

 

First, you generalize, in both senses of the term. You avoid being too specific, to avoid cracking any fragile coalition. You then apply it as broadly as possible to others. On a good day, your generalizations adequately fit, and everyone goes on their merry way.

 

Second, you find agreement how to respect what each other seeks. You all have needs that spill over into the public square, requiring some level of cooperation for their relief. On a good day, sufficient agreement lets you freely address your publicly impacted needs.

 

Third is where your psychosocial differences seep in. The further apart the social situation the more challenging to find agreement. Generalizing can stretch you incredibly thin. On a good day, your publicly impacted needs do not clash with another’s.

 

On less than a good day, the inadequacies of politics-as-usual plant the seeds of polarization.

 

Polarization defined

 

Based on that definition for politics above, political polarization

• stems from the problem of overgeneralizing

• your efforts to relieve your alienated pain

• within conflicting social situations.

 

Political polarization points to excessive generalizing. Exaggerated beliefs reinforce your differences with each other.

 

Political polarization reveals dysfunctional norms of alienation. You don’t really know others, so you fill in the gap with what seems most familiar.

 

If at odds, we fall prey to our worst prejudices about the other political side. “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.”

 

Those you don’t really know can be easier to hate. Political polarization points to pointless opposition. Hate enflames differences.

 

Empower Politics’ answer

 

Empower Politics unleashes the power within others to

• actively identify their own needs, then

• humbly express their own needs, and finally to

• freely address their own needs.

By improving responsibility for their own needs, they improve their responsiveness to your needs.

 

They can then become less dependent upon politics-as-usual. Those trapped in the politics of old will never be able to “debate” their way to convince others to respect their diverse needs, as if your needs were open to debate.

 

They are less likely to actively identify their needs if “political debating” spurs them to rationalize with pain-placating generalizations. Both sides then overgeneralize their self-serving (or group-serving) beliefs about each other. Beliefs then displace actually knowing.

 

They are less likely to humbly express their needs if “political debating” provokes them to guard their vulnerabilities behind a protective veneer of political reasoning. Both sides then easily trigger each other’s defensiveness, reinforcing each other’s reliance on impersonal law. Norms then displace meaningful connections.

 

They are less likely to freely address their needs if “political debating” devalues their needs in favor of others. Both sides then fall into the rut of reactive vacillation, swinging back and forth between polarizing extremes that perpetuates painful imbalance. Outgroup hate then displaces value-affirming love.

 

Empower Politics remediates these three concerns, in three deliberate need-responsive phases. Each phase counters an element in that political polarization definition above.

 

Empower Politics phases

 

“Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.” So we’re not going to solve the problem of polarization by swinging to the polar opposite of your current situation. We step toward wellness in a nuanced process at your pace.

• Instead of jumping to fill all missing specifics, we thoughtfully “de-generalize.” So you can realistically identify your needs.

• Instead of suddenly knowing everyone’s impacted needs, we deliberately “de-alienate.” So you can realistically express your needs.

• Instead of instantly embracing all political enemies, we conscientiously “de-polarize.” So you can realistically address your needs.

 

Degeneralize

You move from overgeneralizing political issues to more applicable specifics. While asserting your strong psychosocial side, you honestly face your psychosocial weak side, and manage your psychosocial risks, with helpful support.

 

You shift from emphasizing your general political differences (lateral) to your specific responsiveness to needs across the political spectrum (vertical).

 

Dealienate

You move from norms of alienation to engaging each other more personally. As you rely less on impersonal rules missing their mark, you personally encounter how you actually impact each other’s needs.

 

You shift from guarding your psychosocial vulnerabilities behind political rhetoric into carefully exposing your politicized needs to the potential love of others, who then get to know you better.

 

You bravely let them know how their psychosocial weak side negatively impacts you, while encouraging them to boldly state how your weak side impacts them.

 

In the process, you intentionally cultivate deeper and wider connections across the political spectrum. You lead where few if anyone has led before.

 

Depolarize

You move from mutual distrust to reciprocal value and empowering love. As you demonstrate more respect for others, you inspire reciprocal respect in return.

 

You shift from devaluing those with whom you politically disagree to connecting with how they experience their politicized needs, from the perspective of their psychosocial orientation.

 

You replace politically alienating hate with attractive love, as you model much needed transpolitical leadership, one political issue at a time.

 

Empower Politics and you

 

How this looks in your life will be up to you. Ready for some personalized support for applying this to your political goals, and your specific political needs?