Some people start with the assumption that there is a universal truth out there.

On the other hand, many sociologists argue that our *social* world is constructed.

I think applying a constructivist view to polarization can bring us closer together as a society.

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I came across the tweet below and was interested in the responses. But I saw this was an example of truth being *constructed*. Here is how it works on Twitter...

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(1) You reply to someone who makes a comment that is against your politics sending your followers there. They need to have a moderate to large platform for the audience - so their mutuals can see the performance.

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(2) Your followers are then sent to that thread, where they can create their own mini-echo chamber - I guess we call that "ratioed"? This then shifts the conversation in a different direction.

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(3) The followers in the mini-echo chamber think "wow, we must *really* be right", and casual observers think - "wow, I must have been wrong about this."

It is a nice way of constructing a "truth" by manipulating public opinion.

(5/12)

For this thread, I wanted to see what the pastor's followers - many I assume are Christian, thought about racism. It would have been somewhat enlightening.

Instead, I got bullet points about CRT being racist. If I was new to this, I would be inclined to believe it.

(6/12)

This works in all directions.

Someone may have had no clue about the JK Rowling imbroglio (like my Mom). They go on Twitter, check her feed and see people shaming her. Surely this impacted their view of her, from "the Harry Potter Lady" to "OMG she is transphobic!"

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There is a belief that we always evaluate claims based purely on the evidence in front of us - and a "truth" is revealed.

With respect to social phenomena, this is not accurate.

This is because...

(8/12)

(1) We ask value based questions,

(2) Interpret evidence through our values, and

(3) for *social* phenomena we do not have access to the entire universe of information.

We manufacture a truth by answering our value laden questions with data we have available.

(9/12)

The problem we have in society today is not recognizing this process.

And so what we imagine that people who think differently than us are deficient in some way, instead of understanding they came to their conclusions the same flawed, incomplete way we did.

(10/12)

I am guilty of assuming that conservatives are simply not aware of the facts or that anti-social justice folks are immoral.

I don't think that's quite right, and I need to check myself more often. This doesn't mean one does not build arguments and counterarguments.

(11/12)

In politics we must advocate for policies that jibe with our values. Manufacturing opinion is a perfectly reasonable tactic. As is persuasion, or doing research.

But in the personal realm, knowing we all construct our world can lead to acceptance and less polarization.

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