In this classic Fractal Friends episode re-release, Duncan speaks with David Brubaker about the depth of polarization. They discuss the importance of honoring each others’ (and our own) dignity, even when we don’t agree with each other. Empathy is a valuable tool we can use to understand other perspectives and ask questions that produce profound answers. David and Duncan delve deep into how trauma impacts polarization, including our epigenetics. That’s why it’s so important to know how to deal with trauma appropriately and recognize its wider effect on all of us. David explains how people choose their side regardless of how much sense the other side makes. He tells an anecdote about Israel and Palestine where one side shunned their own idea because they thought it came from the other. Polarization is real and dangerous, and it’s up to us to understand and fix the rift it creates.