How Contempt Destroys Democracy

An American Liberal's Guide to Toxic Polarization

With Trump back in power, many Americans feel exhausted, furious, and afraid. But when those Americans aim their contempt and rage at wide swaths of fellow citizens on the "other side," it doesn’t weaken Trumpism — it feeds it. Trump thrives on division; contempt and rage help him (just as those emotions aid other highly us-vs-them leaders and activists).

Those who wish to defeat Trump must try to understand the decades-long cycle of us-vs-them animosity that led to his rise — and that continue to lead many Americans, on the left and right, to support high-conflict, us-vs-them approaches. Those who don't make the effort to understand the psychological aspects of our divides will often act in self-defeating, polarization-amplifying ways; they will rage against perceived injustices, while accidentally contributing to the very dynamics that upset them.

“Elwood is one of the wisest voices on the topic of toxic polarization... America needs its citizens to listen to Zach.” —Daniel F. Stone, polarization researcher and author of Undue Hate

In How Contempt Destroys Democracy, you'll learn:

• How fear and contempt distort our views of fellow citizens
• How both sides dramatically overestimate the extremism and animosity of the "other side"
• How excessive contempt and fear lead to a self-reinforcing cycle of conflict — which helps create the very behaviors that upset many people across the political spectrum
• How the small choices we make every day can either intensify or weaken the toxicity of our divide

Our democracy is threatened not just by Trump himself, but by the feedback loop of mutual hatred that gives him power. Breaking that loop is one of the most effective ways ordinary people can push back. Contrary to what many people think, we can strive to reduce toxic polarization while also pursuing our political goals.

If you’re a liberal who feels helpless watching America unravel, this book will give you something invaluable: clarity, agency, and a path forward that doesn’t depend on wishful thinking or political miracles.

“An essential guide for American liberals worried about the future of our country.” —Taylor Dotson, author of The Divide: How Fanatical Certitude Is Destroying Democracy

“I felt saner and less afraid for the future after reading [his books]." – Brendan Bartholomew, San Francisco writer