Zachary Elwood
I'm the author of Defusing American Anger (for all Americans), How Contempt Destroys Democracy (for an anti-Trump audience), and a Substack newsletter on polarization. I host the psychology podcast People Who Read People.
PRAISE
“Elwood is one of the wisest voices on the topic of toxic polarization. His writing is clear, thoughtful, and well-researched... America needs its citizens to listen to Zach.”
– Daniel F. Stone, author of Undue Hate
“He encourages us to see we're caught in a feedback loop with ‘the other side’… I felt saner and less afraid for the future after reading [his books]. I also feel like I might be better able to engage with [the other side] in constructive ways.”
– Brendan Bartholomew (read full review)
“Zach and I lean opposite ways politically [...] he makes a compelling case that our contempt and distorted views are not only a great threat but a problem we can actually solve.
– Jefferson Shupe, author of The Bathwater Brigade
America is deeply divided
We don't just disagree on issues; we increasingly view our political adversaries as immoral, deluded, and dangerous. And our fear and contempt affect our stances on issues, making us more hardened in our views and less willing to compromise.
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There’s a good chance our problems will get worse before they get better. To avoid worst-case outcomes of chaos and dysfunction where all Americans lose, we need more people — from politicians to reporters to everyday citizens — to see the nature of our divides more clearly.
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Learn more about my books:
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Defusing American Anger (for everyone)
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How Contempt Destroys Democracy (for a liberal/anti-Trump audience)
Are you skeptical about this work?
A July 2024 talk I had with media bias analyst Vanessa Otero. We focused on common objections to and misunderstandings about efforts to reduce toxic polarization. I recommend it. (See more talks and media.)
"When we treat others with anger and disgust, we drive them further away from our reality; we aid them in building a narrative where we are the villains."
- from How Contempt Destroys Democracy
"Culture wars are different than real wars: the more you attack the other side, the more you strengthen it."
- Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind
You'll appreciate my work if...
You'll enjoy my work if any of these things are true for you:
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You think political contempt and anger have become a serious problem in America and you want to help.
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You're confused why people talk about "polarization" being a problem when you think the problem is entirely one-sided.
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You want to understand how you can work for what you believe in without contributing to toxicity and contempt.
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You want to understand why the "other side" believes the seemingly strange things they believe.
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You want to have less angry, more productive conversations with people who are politically different from you.
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You're a political activist and want to be able to make more persuasive arguments to your opponents.
Get books
Learn more about my books:
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How Contempt Destroys Democracy (2024): for a liberal/anti-Trump audience
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Defusing American Anger (2023): for all audiences, available only in ebook
ABoUT the author
Zachary Elwood
I'm Zachary Elwood. I'm the host of the psychology podcast People Who Read People. For my podcast, I've interviewed many people on topics related to our us-versus-them polarization and the psychology underlying our divides (see the politics-related episodes). I also have a depolarization-aimed newsletter: sign up to that to get updates about my work and this cause.
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My research into deceptive political activity on the internet has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, and more.
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I self-published my books on polarization because I wanted to get them out into the world quickly but I'm now seeking agent representation with the hopes of partnering with a major publisher.
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Have an inquiry or feedback? Please reach out.​
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