The Hidden Keys to Building Bridges in an Exhausted America

"Last year, I sat across from a group of exhausted Americans who'd been asked to imagine volunteering for a community event with people they normally avoided: political opponents, racial "others," neighbors they silently distrusted. The reactions were telling. Some lit up at the chance to build something better together. Others only engaged when the task was framed as preventing more hate and violence. And still others shrugged-until they realized the invitation was to roll up their sleeves and do something practical, side by side."

"That's the hard truth: America is teetering. Nearly a quarter of our fellow citizens believe violence may be necessary to "save" the nation. More than half of Republicans fear our democracy is on the verge of collapse. And the loudest, most extreme voices dominate the conversation, while moderates check out in despair. Against this backdrop, bridge-builders across the country face an urgent question: How do we draw people back in?"

"That moment crystallized what six new studies (over 2,100 participants across the country) now confirm: The way we invite people to bridge divides matters just as much as the activities themselves. Here's the hard truth: America is teetering. Nearly a quarter of our fellow citizens believe violence may be necessary to "save" the nation. More than half of Republicans fear our democracy is on the verge of collapse."

Six studies involving more than 2,100 participants across the country found that tailoring outreach to individuals' prevention or promotion orientations substantially increases engagement in bridge-building activities. Prevention-driven people respond to warnings aimed at averting harm; promotion-driven people respond to hopeful visions of improved futures. Practical, hands-on community projects attract action-oriented 'doers' more than conversation-only invitations. Promotion-focused hopeful messaging particularly increases racial bridge-building. Nearly a quarter of citizens believe violence may be necessary to 'save' the nation, and more than half of Republicans fear democratic collapse; these realities make targeted, action-focused outreach urgent to draw moderates back into civic life.

Read at Psychology Today