America's Nervous System Is Fried

"When we feel threatened, our brains don't try to figure out who's right. They try to keep us alive. The amygdala fires, the sympathetic nervous system activates, our heart rate spikes, and our attention narrows. This fight-or-flight response evolved to protect us from predators - not political debates or social media threads. Modern life keeps us in this state. Economic insecurity, information overload, climate anxiety, and constant online comparison all signal danger."

"A survival state meant to be temporary has become our default. When we're dysregulated, nuance feels intolerable. We lash out or shut down. Our ancient survival circuitry hijacks higher reasoning. That's why fact-checking, civics classes, or calls for "bipartisan dialogue" don't move the needle much. You can't reason with someone whose nervous system feels under attack. Outrage isn't just cultural - it's biological."

Polarization is driven by chronic physiological fight-or-flight responses rather than purely ideological disagreement. Threat perception triggers the amygdala, sympathetic nervous system activation, increased heart rate, and narrowed attention, prioritizing survival over reasoning. Modern stressors—economic insecurity, information overload, climate anxiety, and perpetual online comparison—keep many people in a continuous survival state. When dysregulated, people reject nuance, lash out, or shut down, making fact-checking and bipartisan appeals ineffective because nervous systems feel under attack. Specific skills—dialectics, radical acceptance, and emotion regulation—can reduce suffering and keep people engaged despite persistent polarization.

Read at Psychology Today