When Love-Centered Spaces Turn to Fear Tribalism
At the Common Ground Fair this year, I went to a session called “Power of People vs. Power of Money.” About twenty of us pulled our chairs into a rough circle. A little stage setting: the Common Ground Fair feels like a county fair and Woodstock had a baby. Solar-powered food trucks next to tie-dye vendors. It was the kind of place where love isn’t just talked about but actively practiced.
Within minutes of the first prompt, our circle did something I’ve seen happen countless times. We slid from the topic at hand into arguing about socialism. Someone asked how we can discuss it when so many people view it as bad. Instantly, the room went to facts. Public schools. Medicare. Nordic countries. Tax policy. The tone wasn’t hostile, just confident. Explaining the right way to think.
I listened for a while, then raised my hand. I said I think it’s challenging to have these conversations because if someone believes something strongly, you can’t change their mind by explaining harder. Leading with curiosity and actually understanding the deeper beliefs and values underneath is a better first step.
The looks I got were telling. Some polite nods. A few puzzled expressions. The very next comment pivoted straight back to more examples, more models, more ways to explain things better.
That moment stuck with me long after. Not the policy discussion, but the reflex underneath it. Here was a space that positioned itself around love, community, and openness. Yet when politics surfaced, even among people who largely agreed with each other, the default was facts first. Explanation over exploration. It’s a pattern I see everywhere. And I catch myself doing it too.
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