The polarization of Elon Musk: His high-contempt approach to political disagreement

People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast

In June of 2024, I got an op-ed published in TheHill.com about Elon Musk's polarization -- specifically his so-called "affective polarization," which refers to how people perceive and treat their political opponents. Like many in our highly polarized, righteously angry society, Elon Musk treats the "other side" with much contempt and disdain. You can often find him insulting and demeaning people on his social media platform, as well as claiming to know with high certainty the hidden, malicious motives in his opponents' minds. This episode includes a reading of my op-ed and some additional observations. Topics discussed include: How conflict influences more and more people, on both "sides," to behave in high-contempt ways; how high-contempt, polarized approaches amplify the conflict; why high-contempt approaches are self-defeating for one's own goals and activism; how we can criticize "our side" to encourage better ways of engaging. To learn more about my polarization work, see https://american-anger.com.

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