I dare you to read both of these...

Curiosity is a muscle. And today — only if you’re up for it — I have a challenge to help you build it.

One of the trickiest things for a lot of us to understand is how people who disagree with us politically can possibly feel the way they do about this administration. If we’re scared or angry, we can’t imagine why someone would be fine or excited. And if we’re fine or excited, we can’t imagine why someone would be scared or angry.

It’s like our political opponents live in some awful alternate reality we never want to visit.

Which is why I was so stunned to come across these two recent essays from Isaac Saul's Tangle News. First, Isaac — one of the most intellectually humble journalists I’ve come across — lays out his best case for why, in his opinion, the administration is taking things in a uniquely damaging direction. Then, Associate Editor Audrey Moorhead, with her own brand of humility, lays out her best case for why, in her opinion, there is blame to go around for the erosion of our political institutions, and a lot of folks accept or embrace the actions of this administration.

I invite you to read both of these essays.

You might be up for this challenge. You might not be. Either way is OK!

But if you are game, I think reading both can help us to understand our political opponents a little bit better. And understanding people who disagree with us is a powerful way to reduce our anxiety around them.

If you do take up this challenge, I'd ask you to try something else, too: as you read, NOTICE how you’re reacting. Where in the essays do you find yourself tensing up — and why? 

What comes up specifically? This isn't about litigating this or that policy on the merits; it's about understanding why it grips you. Not someone else; you.

Curiosity is a superpower that can save our country. But it's not enough to just get curious about those people over there. One of the biggest opportunities is for us to get curious about ourselves, and especially about what comes up when we hear from folks who disagree.

Want to share what you find? I’m here.

Stay curious, all. Especially when it’s hard.