What both sides of America’s polarized divide share: Deep anxieties about the meaning of life and existence itself

By: Carl F. Weems, Iowa State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 30, 2025

Words: 974

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 5 days ago

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By Carl F. Weems, Iowa State University

Opening my social media feed, I’m often confronted with a jarring contrast: intense, diametrically opposed perspectives from different friends. The comments can be laced with insult, character attack and invective.

I’m certainly not the only one noticing this kind of vitriolic polarization. Recent polling suggests a majority of Americans believe that the country cannot overcome its current divisions.

As a professor of human development and family studies, …

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