Beyond the Politics of Contempt by Doug Teschner, Beth Malow, and Becky Robinson focuses on how in our politically polarized world, we can still build positive relationships.

What I Liked About Beyond the Politics of Contempt

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. My fear was that the authors would shove one political ideology down my throat while demonizing the other side. That was not the case. Yes, the authors expressed their personal political views, but those views showed dignity and respect to both parties. Which is good, since dignity and respect are two things the authors want to help build.

They clearly state that people can have strong political opinions without feeling the need to demonize those who disagree with them. The authors rightly blame what they call conflict entrepreneurs as a chief cause of the divide we see in our country. Conflict entrepreneurs exploit conflict for their own ends, which may be profit, attention, power or all three. Interestingly, they define these bad players as the tech giants, political influencers, journalists, politicians, candidates, and political parties.

They explain the goal for the average person who falls into the exhausted majority category is to avoid becoming a conflict enabler and instead become a civic entrepreneur. We should strive to be people who look for common ground, take action, and build relationships.

What You’ll Like About Beyond the Politics of Contempt

Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, you will walk away from this book feeling respected. Teschner represents the Republican view, Malow, the Democratic view, and Robinson more Independent since she has voted for both parties in the past. Each author has their personal reasons for how they lean politically, and they share those reasons, which helps you see them as people with differing opinions.

They ask readers to take a hard look at themselves, and how they view the other party. This may be a hard task for some.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn practical steps that will help you understand how conflict entrepreneurs operate so you can help others understand their tactics. They also provide suggestions on how to develop a healthier use of social media.

Final Thoughts

The authors don’t sugarcoat the process of becoming a civic entrepreneur. They make it clear you may need to change; you may need moral courage when faced with opposition; you may need to develop resiliency so you can face the tough times, and you may need to be more courageous.

It definitely made me examine how mindful I am when viewing people who see things differently than I do.

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