Defusing American Anger: A depolarization endeavor

The pressure to be unlike people we despise

Can "them" liking chocolate ice cream make us like it less?

Jul 2 • Zachary Elwood

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June 2026

Talks on polarization: Media appearances by me, Zach Elwood, in 2025 and 2026

Some recent podcast/media appearances on polarization/conflict-related topics

Jun 20 • Zachary Elwood

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On Sam Harris's refusal to debate Israel-critics — and how that relates to toxic conflict

Conflict leads us to be overly pessimistic about our opponents—which in turn can amplify toxicity

Jun 7 • Zachary Elwood

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April 2026

"When I first saw your work, I rolled my eyes." On skepticism about reducing us-vs-them thinking.

Serious conflict inevitably leads to a widespread instinct to scoff at conflict-reduction efforts. To escape the toxic conflict spiral, we must see that…

Apr 3 • Zachary Elwood

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February 2026

January 2026

I work on reducing political contempt — and yet I have contempt for Trump. Is that a contradiction?

Polarization means there will be much contempt and anger. The question is what we do with those feelings.

Jan 29 • Zachary Elwood

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Learn how news platform Aemula hopes to reduce polarization

A visual demo of Aemula from its visionary creator Don Templeman

Jan 21 • Zachary Elwood

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Groups in conflict inevitably have differences. Recognizing this can lower our contempt.

This is not a chess game; groups have different ways of moving.

Jan 21 • Zachary Elwood

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December 2025

A Short Course for Navigating and Defusing Toxic Conflict

Resources for those who wish to disagree and advocate in healthier, less polarizing ways or mediate others' toxic conflicts

Dec 20, 2025 • Zachary Elwood

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October 2025

Like my polarization work? Vote for me in this essay contest

Contest ends at midnight tonight; appreciate your help

Oct 31, 2025 • Zachary Elwood

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September 2025

A polarized nation is volatile, at risk of being destabilized by non-representative acts of violence

How we build our narratives that "The other side are the violent ones!"

Sep 21, 2025 • Zachary Elwood

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July 2025

When in conflict, we craft elaborate, false, and conflict-amplifying stories about our adversaries and our allies

Humans are storytellers, but our emotions when in conflict lead us to weave simplistic and conflict-amplifying stories

Jul 13, 2025 • Zachary Elwood

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