“it just means we both have to put greater effort into the search for common ground.” Agreed, but we must also understand that “common ground” doesn’t necessarily mean something in the middle of two competing views. Sometimes “common ground” may be found in abandoning previously held views when confronted with new information or perspectives. If “common ground” is only seen as a compromise between two competing views, we inadvertently encourage extremism to define the synthesis/mid-point. We must bear in mind Hegelian principles in defining appropriate conflict resolution. Having said that, we certainly need to find better ways of communicating with each other — a challenge in any environment but infinitely more complicated given present political and technological circumstances.
