I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times

The publication of I Never Thought of It That Way in 2022 came at a critical moment in American political history, following decades of increasing polarization that transformed how Americans interact across political differences. This polarization created the environment that made Guzmán’s work timely.

The roots of contemporary American political polarization can be traced to the 1970s, when the relative consensus of the post-World War II era began to erode. As Guzmán notes in her book, the period between 1972 and 2000 saw dramatic changes in how political identities aligned with other aspects of American life. During this time, party affiliation became increasingly correlated with geographic location, education level, religious practices, and cultural values—a phenomenon political scientists term “sorting.”

The 1990s marked a significant acceleration of this trend. The emergence of 24-hour cable news networks, talk radio, and increasingly partisan media contributed to what Guzmán identifies as “siloing”—the tendency for people to consume information that confirms their existing beliefs while avoiding contrary perspectives. Newt Gingrich’s 1995 decision to reduce the Congressional workweek from five days to three, which Guzmán specifically references, exemplifies how institutional changes reduced opportunities for cross-party relationship-building.

The advent of social media in the early 2000s dramatically intensified these divisions.