Enjoying the outdoors can be an antidote to partisan polarization

Seth Shteir

Submitted photo

We need to reimagine our relationships with those who hold different political views even if we disagree passionately with them. This is not to say that we should stop advocating for what we believe, but rather to humanize those who disagree with us and defy reductionist views.”

Opinion

Citizen science isn’t just for the birds; why I participate

Partisan polarization is getting worse in America. According to polling data from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, nearly half of Americans think that members of the opposing political party are not merely uninformed or misguided, but downright evil.

Many view political affiliation as the litmus test of a person’s most important aspect of identity and are dehumanizing the opposition.

I urge Americans to countermand this trend by hiking, picnicking, fishing, hunting, birdwatching or climbing with someone from the opposite side of the political spectrum. The purpose is not to debate or even discuss political views, but to go beyond our identity-based politics to learn about them as a mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter, work colleague or business owner, recreationist or community member.

That’s a difficult ask, I know, but Americans are more than the sum of their political views. They are the neighbors who fixed your flat tire as winter twilight faded into night, the coworkers in the next cubicle who got your project across the finish line when you were ill, the business owners who donated meals for the hungry on Thanksgiving. 

We need to reimagine our relationships with those who hold different political views even if we disagree passionately with them. This is not to say that we should stop advocating for what we believe, but rather to humanize those who disagree with us and defy reductionist views.

The time is late, but we need to get off social media and accept that people with different experiences can hold disparate views in good faith.

It is important to note that there is a distinction between the policies that are championed by politicians in Washington and the values of American voters who only have two choices on election day.

Voters may support only part of a political platform. For example, The New York Times reported in 2023 that there were six types of Republicans, including traditional conservatives, blue collar populists and the right wing. Similarly, the Pew Research Center identified four types of Democrats in 2021, including the progressive left, establishment liberals and the Democratic mainstays or moderates.

While your neighbor, sister or coworker may have voted for a different political party, that does not mean they embrace the entirety of that party’s platform and may have actually had to hold their nose as they cast their vote.

But back to the outdoors. Spending time in nature is a wonderful way to build a relationship without having to discuss politics. The outdoors is a catalyst for fun conversations by the campfire; watching the last amber rays of the sun sink below the mountains, testing one’s strength and stamina on the trail and finding respite from the stress of our fast-paced world beneath the shade of a Douglas fir forest.

If you are a fisherperson, chat about trout flies and lend them your favorite streamer or dry fly. If you are a hiker, share boot recommendations and your secret backpacking recipe for pasta Bolognese. Enjoy the beauty of nature, soak in the warmth of the summer sun and get to know somebody with a different world view in a way that recognizes their humanity.

There are many aspects of political life we cannot change, but we can do our part to combat partisan polarization. Take a break from CNN and Fox news and explore rivers that wind their way through red rock canyons, hike deep into the mountains and make a new friend. The outdoors can play a powerful role in bringing Americans together during a time of political divisiveness.

Editor’s note: Seth Shteir is a natural resource specialist and fly fisherman who has been exploring the West for more than 35 years. He lives in Helmville, Montana. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.