The Enemy We Imagine - NaPodPoMo 2025 Day 20

Day 20 of our 30-day challenge, where we’re answering the most urgent questions about bridging our divides — gathered from people across the country at the Bridging Movement Summit.We’ve talked a lot about the forces pushing us apart — outrage media, polarization, power dynamics. But today, we’re zeroing in on a hidden driver that often goes unnoticed: Our assumptions about each other.Research shows that we tend to believe the “other side” hates us more than they actually do — and those exaggerated negative perceptions can do real damage. They lead us to disengage, distrust, and reject the possibility of common ground before the conversation even begins.So today’s question:How do overly negative perceptions of political rivals break down the work of bridging — both personally and across society?To help us unpack that, we’re joined by James Coan from More Like Us, a project dedicated to revealing the true — and often surprising — beliefs that Americans hold about one another.Learn more: OutrageOverload.netJoin the movement to lower the temperature: Count Me In for Calm Get full access to Outrage Overload Newsletter at outrageoverload.substack.com/subscribe