Political hate may not be grounded in reality

+ Hamilton wouldn’t be surprised by Trump’s arrest US Edition - Today's top story: Your political rivals aren’t as bad as you think – here's how misunderstandings amplify hostility [View in browser]( US Edition | 5 April 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Finland’s accession to NATO and the death of neutrality]( - [‘]([Swarm’ reveals the makings of a serial killer]( - [Innies and outies: Your belly button questions answered]( Lead story U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently asked out loud if the United States is heading for a “national divorce.” Taylor Green is known for making incendiary – and often blatantly false – statements. In this case, I doubt she is the first person to have wondered where political division and anger in the U.S. will lead the country. The arrest of Donald Trump yesterday at a Manhattan courthouse – where Taylor Greene and other supporters verbally sparred with the former president’s critics – placed this partisan division on clear display. But, sometimes, political hate toward others who disagree with us may not be grounded in reality, according to Daniel Stone, a behavioral economist at Bowdoin College. In fact, we tend to excessively dislike others who have opposing points of views and take merely holding a different opinion as evidence of a person’s poor judgment or bad intentions, Stone explains in today’s lead story. He also had a practical suggestion for readers: “The next time you feel hate – remind yourself it’s probably partly undue.” Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor Misunderstanding can play a role in people’s dislike of others who have different beliefs. wildpixel/Getty Images [Your political rivals aren’t as bad as you think – here’s how misunderstandings amplify hostility]( Daniel F. Stone, Bowdoin College People tend not to think that their own emotions could simply be wrong. But research shows that people excessively dislike others who disagree with them. Politics + Society - [Trump’s indictment is unprecedented, but it would not have surprised the Founding Fathers]( Austin Sarat, Amherst College The arrest of a former American president is unprecedented, but the nation’s founders anticipated the day would come. - [Finland, NATO and the evolving new world order – what small nations know]( Ronald Suny, University of Michigan A historian looks at the steps leading up to Finland joining the Western strategic alliance – and what that means for small nations elsewhere. Education - [How white privilege plays into the first lady’s idea to invite runner-up Iowa to the White House]( Joseph N. Cooper, UMass Boston Asking the mostly Black women’s basketball team at LSU to share the limelight with the white team it beat in the championship game represents a double standard, a scholar of sports and race says. Arts + Culture - [‘Swarm’ is a dark, satirical look at how the absence of meaningful relationships can spawn a serial killer]( Jenae Harris, Kennesaw State University What causes people to obsess over celebrities – to the point where they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make contact? Criminology may hold some answers. Science + Technology - [One way to speed up clinical trials: Skip right to the data with electronic medical records]( Kevin Kip, University of Pittsburgh; Erin McCreary, University of Pittsburgh; Oscar Marroquin, University of Pittsburgh In health care crises, researchers can avoid waiting for clinical trial results by using data from health care systems to analyze the effectiveness of treatments for COVID-19 and other illnesses. - [Racist and sexist depictions of human evolution still permeate science, education and popular culture today]( Rui Diogo, Howard University From Aristotle to Darwin, inaccurate and biased narratives in science not only reproduce these biases in future generations but also perpetuate the discrimination they are used to justify. - [Innies, outies and omphalophobia: 7 navel-gazing questions about belly buttons answered]( Sarah Leupen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County All mammals who get nutrients from their parent via a placenta before birth are left with a belly button. It’s a visual reminder of this original connection. Ethics + Religion - [Each generation in Northern Ireland has reflected on the ‘troubles’ in its own way – right up to ‘Derry Girls’]( Joseph Patrick Kelly, College of Charleston Twenty-five years after the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement, Northern Ireland is still resisting the culture of violence. Trending on site - [You can’t hide side hustles from the IRS anymore – here’s what taxpayers need to know about reporting online payments for gig work]( - [Prosecuting a president is divisive and sometimes destabilizing – here’s why many countries do it anyway]( - [Sex, love and companionship … with AI? Why human-machine relationships could go mainstream]( Today's graphic [A chart comparing the Democrats' share of two-party popular vote and the Democrats' share of U.S. House seats won from 1972 and 2022.]( From the story, [When it comes to explaining elections in Congress, gerrymandering is overrated]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](