Of course, there are few words in our modern-day discourse that are used more often, and examined less carefully, than the word “polarized.”
- Politicians say voters are “polarized”
- News organizations say our society is “polarized“
- Pundits direct us towards “polarized” statements and briefs
- Social media commentators say every issue has become “polarized”
The word has become so common that many people accept it without ever questioning what it actually means. Ironically, the word polarized is itself polarizing… both literally and figuratively, IMHO…
This Just Came to Me…
The idea for this blog post came to me last Sunday morning while driving to play golf with buddy. The sun was directly in the path of my truck, so I reached for a cheap pair of gas-station sunglasses… they are a $5 special that I grabbed when driving home from Las Vegas one evening directly west into the sun.
As I drove, I happened to glance through the passenger-side window check my mirror to merge right. The polarized lenses of the cheap sunglasses interacted with the window’s tinting and polarization in a way that created strange patterns and dark patches. And yes, I have seen the same many times over, in the past. Yes, that simple observation, on a Sunday morning, got me thinking… Here was a literal example of polarization affecting what I could see when looking out the glass into the mirror, to safely change lanes. Then the connection hit me: the word polarized has become one of the most polarizing words in our modern marketing and influencer guided world of Elites.
Just as those inexpensive sunglasses changed my view of how we speak of the world today and around us, the way we use the word polarized may be changing how we view society itself. Sometimes the most interesting ideas I have do not come from academic study or political discourse, Elite pressures, they come from looking through a $5 pair of sunglasses at just the exact moment I needed to.
The Literal Meaning of Polarized
In its most basic sense, polarization involves movement toward two opposite poles. Just as a magnet has a north pole and a south pole, so does our Earth which is polarized by electrically charged particles. Even polarized sunglasses work by filtering light according to its specific orientation associated with poles.
I looked it up on Google and the common theme of polarization, is separation into two distinct and opposing extremes. In other words, polarization is not simply disagreement as much as it is not diversity of thought. It is not simply the existence of multiple viewpoints.
Polarization literally implies a system being pulled toward two opposing ends (or poles). That distinction matters and it might be excellent for all of us to adopt this understanding, as this is not what is natural of our world today, but what we are forced to understand by pundits labeling things for us.
Definition of Polarized
transitive verb
1: to cause to vibrate in a definite pattern
- lenses that polarize light waves
2: to give physical polarity to
- exposure to an electric field can polarize a piece of iron
3: to break up into opposing factions or groups
- a campaign that polarized the electorate
An Issue with Modern Usage
I have noticed that when people hear that a population is polarized, they often imagine something much simpler than what the reality is. Take almost any controversial issue and the public is rarely divided into only two camps.
Instead, you might find:
- People strongly supporting one position
- People moderately supporting it
- People undecided about the topic
- People supporting parts of both sides of the matter
- People opposing the issue for completely different reasons
- People largely uninformed
- People opting out because they are mature
- People who simply do not care
Yet all of these groups are frequently compressed into the label of a “polarized” society. The word creates a picture that may not accurately reflect the underlying truth. As discussed in several of my previous blogs, wording matters because wording shapes perception. Once a label becomes common enough, people eventually stop questioning whether it remains accurate and merely repeat it for notoriety.
A Convenient Political Shortcut
The political usefulness of the word polarized is easy to understand. If leaders, commentators, pundits, influencers, the Elite, the media, activists, militants, or advocates can frame an issue as having only two diverse sides, they simplify the conversation dramatically to get their point across and ensure they stay in power.
A complex spectrum and world becomes a binary choice or topic to ensure the simplification. This means by their directive, you are either on one side or the other. The middle disappears with nuance, becoming irrelevant as alternative solutions appear to disappear. The discussion becomes less about understanding and more about choosing a team. This is where language and government intersect. Governments, political organizations, media outlets, and advocacy groups all rely on language to communicate ideas.
- Sometimes those ideas are precise, I mean perfectly clarified and detailed.
- Sometimes the messages are simplified or dumbed down.
- Sometimes they are oversimplified to ensure the messenger wins votes and stay in charge.
The word polarized often contributes to that oversimplification to ensure the Elite can stay in control.
Self-Fulfilling Language
One of the most interesting aspects of the word is that repeated use may help create the condition it describes. Imagine repeatedly telling millions of people that society consists of two opposing groups… (I know you do not have to imagine this, because it is our reality already).
Over time, people begin identifying themselves that way.
- They may be less open to considering new information.
- They may seek out information that reinforces existing beliefs.
- They may have greater difficulty finding common ground.
- They may become more resistant to perspectives that challenge their group’s beliefs.
- They may avoid conversations with those who disagree with them.
- They may feel pressure to choose a side.
- They may become less willing to express nuanced positions.
- They may view those outside their group less favorably.
- They may become more suspicious of people with other viewpoints.
- They may assume disagreements are rooted in bad intention rather than honest differences.
- They may feel a stronger sense of loyalty to their own group.
- They may become more critical of perceived outsiders.
- They may interpret ambiguous actions through a partisan lens.
- They may be less likely to compromise on contested issues.
- They may exaggerate differences between groups.
- They may underestimate the diversity of opinions within their own group.
- They may become more emotionally invested in group identity.
- They may dismiss opposing viewpoints without fully considering them.
- They may experience increased frustration during discussions of controversial topics.
- They may prioritize group solidarity over independent judgment.
- They may be less willing to acknowledge valid points made by the other side.
In that sense, describing society as polarized can potentially encourage further polarization. The label starts influencing the behavior as language does not merely describe reality… Language often shapes reality or our perception of said reality.
The Missing Majority
Many public discussions focus on the loudest voices which appear to support the strongest advocates and perhaps not the actual victims. The most passionate critics of acts or situations often get the attention because they expel the most intense statements. Yet those groups are not always representative of the broader population or those that are actually impacted through the polarization.
The majority of people often live somewhere between the poles related to this polarization. It always appears to me that they may agree with one side on some issues and the other side on different issues… They may support compromise and at the same time may change their opinions when presented with new information. Unfortunately, moderation rarely generates headlines in our world, today. Extremes attract attention and nuance does not promote our nation’s Elites. As a result, the public conversation can appear far more polarized than the public itself.
A Better Question
Instead of immediately accepting claims that society is polarized, perhaps we could ask a different question: Are people truly moving toward opposite poles, or are we simply describing the world that way?
That question forces us to examine both the evidence and the language being used to present it. Sometimes the answer may be yes. Genuine polarization certainly exists in some situations while other times, the label may conceal a far more complicated reality.
When “Polarized” Is the Right Word
There are situations where the term polarized is entirely appropriate language to use. If large portions of a population consistently cluster around two opposing positions, and the middle is actively shrinking, then polarization is not merely a verbal shortcut… it is an accurate description in this situation.
I am well aware that elections, legislative voting patterns, and public opinions on certain issues sometimes do reveal genuine movement toward opposing poles. The problem is not the existence of polarization as much ass the problem arises when the label is applied automatically to every disagreement, regardless of whether the evidence supports it the label or not.
Final Thought
The word polarized has become one of the most polarized terms in modern political vocabulary because it does two jobs simultaneously.
- It describes division
AND - It encourages us to see division
The word simplifies a subject ensuring the messenger extends the polarization they believe are experiencing.
- Literally, polarization means movement toward opposing poles
- Figuratively, the word encourages us to view society through those same poles
The next time someone says our nation, our community, or our issues are polarized, it may be worth pausing for a moment and asking ourselves…
Are there really only two sides to this or has the language itself become polarized?