Reverse polarisation

Although most Australians probably see themselves as being somewhere near the centre of most issues, there will always be some sections of society who have differing views. 

The very nature of a democracy means that people are allowed to hold, and voice, their opinions and beliefs.  

But it’s not those different opinions that are problematic. We have always been a nation of debate, and robust conversations. What is becoming more concerning is our inability to allow people to have those ideas and opinions that are contrary to our own.

Our data shows that 65% of Australians think we are becoming more divided. Only 20% of people frequently look for opposing points of view on an issue, and only 9% add opposing viewpoints to our social media feeds. 

What all of this means for you, your family and your community is that people are getting to the stage where they simply won’t interact with others. They may choose to only form relationships with like-minded people, thereby exacerbating the echo chamber effect.

And this means that we can no longer have important conversations.

Good, healthy disagreement, or the ability to disagree productively so that it generates greater understanding and better ideas, is a positive. It’s how we learn. It’s how we get better.

The good news is, Australians can find common ground and agree on important issues. Our data shows that there is agreement on the issues that are most important to Australian people - like healthcare, housing and education. 

By having conversations, engaging in robust, respectful debate, we can find not just common ground, but uncommon ground.

Uncommon ground

That place where you can find unexpected commonalities and connections in people and places you might not expect. Where different points of view come together, allowing communities, institutions and governments to collaborate and find unexpected solutions.

We can give a bit and take a bit. We can appreciate the points of view of others, collaborate and be better together. 

The only non-negotiable is a willingness to negotiate.

Amplify believes that working together shouldn’t be complicated. But it does require one simple thing to work. You have to take part.

It’s not about winning – or, at least, it’s not about you winning. It’s about finding the uncommon ground that works best for everyone.

And it’s not about persuasion. If that is all you are focussed on, you won’t listen to other points of view.

You are not going to make everyone happy, on every single point, every single time. The idea is that everyone gives a little ground to get a little ground - centimetre by centimetre sometimes, but if everyone is willing, you will get there.

‘The door’ is going to be a very busy area, because there are a lot of things that everyone is going to have to leave at it: hostility, judgement, and closed-mindedness.

But here’s what is always welcome: curiosity, compassion, and honesty.

We don’t have all the answers, but we know that nothing better will come from a community that is polarised. 

To make a difference, and bring about the change we so clearly need, we must act now, and we must act together. Because, exclusion, division, disengagement and indifference have all proven themselves not to work.

The Australian community has identified polarisation as one of four key problems - along with a lack of trust in our politicians, a lack of vision among politicians, and the intergenerational divide - confronting our democracy today, and into the future. 

We encourage you to read about all four to get a deeper understanding of these problems and join the Amplify Community now.