I Am an Echo Chamber

Americans are becoming increasingly tribalistic. It s not just Republicans vs. Democrats, it s brown vs. white, college educated vs. blue collar folks, the coasts vs. the midwest, gay vs. straight, rich vs. poor, Trumpists vs. never Trumpers. Why? Some factors that are outside of us as human beings, but others reside within us. We not only passively inhale one-sided information, we actively seek out news which is consistent with what we believe and interact with people who agree with us, whether in real life or on social media. But here s the wrinkle in general, how often do we change our minds about anything? We hold beliefs that are extremely resistant to change, be they related to politics and religion, devotion to a sports team or musical genre, or even favorite cuisine or style of dress. The way we humans are wired, comprised of a nexus of beliefs or constructs, self-interest honed by evolution, and logical thinking, serve to make each of us our own unique one-off echo chamber.