Thinking about the US Election - do you know people who believe that Trump will destroy socialistic ideals? And do you know people who believe that Trump supporters are fascists? And if the answer is yes, when was the last time you heard them share an empathetic statement about the other side's point of view?

All humans share a few core values. For example, all humans value relationships and fairness. Given that these are shared values, what keeps us from talking to all humans about how we can live those values better?  

The "us vs. them" tribalism plays out in corporate life too. Will our department outperform others? How come that team gets more than my team?  

And we see the resentment show up in other areas and stages of our lives as well - how we perceive our neighbors, where people come from, where we attended school, etc.

There may be systemic problems in this world - and some of these problems can be solved through policy. But I see the real challenge as our lack of desire to create bonds with those that are different.  

Hate is a powerful and useful emotion. It's easy to hate and feel negativity. But loving and choosing to love more, that's generous - and hard - work. It's also worth it.

P.S. The picture is of a US Baseball team that’s easy to hate ;-)