Has it really been 4 years since the last election? I remember well the article I wrote on Election Day 2016, when I talked about a fascinating book I read—A Little History of the World by Austrian author Ernst Gombrich. You can read my 4-year old piece here.
Chances are that in this unique and unprecedented year (that’s an understatement), you have already voted and won’t be heading to the polls as you previously did on election day. When I voted in 2016, it was actually my first time having become a US citizen. A lot has happened politically in the last 4 years, and shock horror— unlike anything else you’ve been reading recently—I’m not going to try to tell you who to vote for! Voting is a privilege. 200 years ago most of the world lived in autocracies where nobody could vote. 100 years ago women and people of color could not vote. And still today, well over 50 percent of the world does not live in a fully democratic country. That’s why it’s a civic duty to go vote, no matter who you are and who you vote for. Even if you are so disillusioned that you rip the ballot paper up, at least you’ve showed up and voted! We are very fortunate to live in an advanced democracy with basic human rights enshrined into the law. We get a regular say in how our country is governed.

To give us a sense of perspective about our political passions, let’s focus on the concept of tribalism. You see, as humans, we are intensely tribal animals. That’s in our nature and DNA. Whether it’s work, sports or politics— we have to form our tribes and be on team X or Z. Suppose that the Democrat or Republican Party, which are so at loggerheads currently in a divided nation, suddenly got offers to split the country in two and have equal halves to themselves. Everyone who was a Republican moved to one half of the country and everyone who was Democrat moved to the other half (let’s forget for a moment the logistics and that this would obviously split families up). This concept probably sounds like a dream to many right-wing and left-wing partisans! Suddenly it seems like bliss and we’d all get along politically.

The Democrat country could focus on their core issues; and Republicans could do the same in their country. What do you think would happen next? How long do you think it would take before each half quickly developed opposing factions within them? The Democrat half would want to tax high earners, but some may not want to tax them so much. They may want free college education, but some would say that this was impossible. They may want to get rid of fossil fuels immediately, but some would say this needs to be gradually phased out.

The Republican country would want to lower taxes on businesses, but some may not want them lowered too much otherwise it’d affect tax revenue. Some would want to drastically reduce the size of governmental programs, others would want to keep more in place. Some would want total freedom to buy all firearms, some would say you need some restrictions.

Before you know it, each country has split into new groups who then start fighting each other bitterly! Additional political parties form to appease people’s passions for their point of view. If you read history, this is how it’s always happened throughout human existence—from when countries split apart to when religions break away. As humans, we always need to fight with an opposing tribe. And we will find one—because being divided into different camps is something we need.

Why is this important? Well if we’re smart and self-aware enough to see it, it’s clear that however passionately we feel about everything from our political stance to our sports team—there are other people who feel equally strong and think in an opposing way. For every Yin there will always be a Yang. That’s the way the universe works. Our opponents are humans too, with real feelings and dreams for themselves and their families. They are not “bad people” or villains just because you disagree with them, and are not to be dehumanized or put in the “evil” camp. When we do that, we get into trouble. It’s the extremists and the “my way or the highway” folk in our midst that are the real problem. We are all in this game together and if you want to appreciate the smallness of the world, I suggest watching the famous clip of That Pale Blue Dot narrated by Carl Sagan, when Voyager took a last snap of the Earth as it drifted out of the solar system. Our only hope is to learn to live together with mutual respect for our differences and an even greater appreciation of what we have in common.
So be passionate by all means, put forward your views with good heart, and hopefully you’ve voted—but if it doesn’t work out, take it on the chin and realize that you are just on the losing tribe this time.

Suneel Dhand is a physician, writer, and YouTuber. He is Founder at MedStoic Lifestyle Medicine and DocsDox . Follow him on YouTube and Instagram.