What MAGA Means to Americans
Survey reveals exactly why we're struggling to even discuss politics these days. Our experts have some advice on how we can do better, for our own sanity and the good of the country.
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, written by Wise & Well’s editor, Robert Roy Britt. Below you’ll find several informative and actionable stories by our team of journalists, topical experts and practicing professionals. First, this week’s news brief:
Few terms have ever divided a country as much as MAGA, an acronym that no longer needs to be spelled out. The movement has generated joy, hope, anger and despair in seemingly equal parts. The gulf is so stark, and so wide, that it’s made it challenging if not impossible for many Americans to even discuss politics with anyone except a like-minded individual, which accomplishes little more than confirming biases and beliefs.
This week, we’ve got two feature stories that aim to help all Americans understand the current political chaos and polarization, and therefore better navigate relationships and interactions—perhaps so as not to make things worse.
First, let’s bring some clarity to what MAGA means to Americans, based on an insightful new survey and analysis published in The Conversation:
Republicans interpret this phrase as a call for the renewal of the U.S. economy and military might, as well as a return to “traditional” values, especially those relating to gender roles and gender identities. Democrats, we found, view MAGA as a call for a return to white supremacy and growing authoritarianism.
Views of individual Americans are a lot more nuanced than that, of course—some more moderated, some frighteningly extreme—but in that distillation it becomes obvious, as if it wasn’t already, why we’re having trouble coming together on the direction of the country.
On that note, Wise & Well offers these two incredibly informative and helpful feature stories:
The Spiral of Silence: Why Americans are Censoring Themselves
Remember when we used to talk politics regardless who the other person voted for? Erosion of trust across party lines has a lot of us clamming up now. Sure, there’s still plenty of shouting, but many of us keep our thoughts to ourselves unless we’re talking with a like-minded person. Among the downsides, this expert explains: “opinions of the aggressive minority then become dominant.” By James L. Gibson
Why Escalation of Force Doesn’t Work
When we’re blinded by anger, we say and do things that our rational selves would not. That’s because anger triggers reactive processes in the brain that work faster than conscious thought. Hence: violence. In this moment, in America, one might argue that anger and violence are necessary for change. It’s happened before. Read this analysis of the psychology of anger, however, and you just might rethink. By John Kruse MD, PhD
Here are this week’s other feature stories:
What Your ‘Breath Print’ Might Reveal about Your Health
We are all unique in many ways. Fingerprints, for one. But breath prints are way more interesting. Beyond routine bad breath, certain aromas (or stenches) emanating from a mouth—from sour milk to rotten eggs—can serve as diagnostic tools for everything from stress to autoimmune diseases. The hard part is getting someone to give yours a sniff. By Annie Foley
New Hope for Chronic Pain Sufferers
Few chronic health issues affecting so many people are as widely studied yet frustratingly intractable as chronic pain. Yet advancements are building on several fronts, and it finally feels to this writer, who suffers debilitating pain, like treatment breakthroughs are truly just around the corner. That’s a much-needed hopeful message for millions who struggle with the despair of never-ending pain. By Randall H. Duckett
Oddly, Natural Dietary Sugars May Protect Against Diabetes
You might think juice from real fruit is healthy, much more so than sugared juice with no actual fruit. Perhaps marginally, at best. In either case, these drinks dump unnatural amounts of sugar into the bloodstream and predispose a person to diabetes. Sugar in fruit—as nature intended—comes alongside fiber and other nutrients and is much better for you. That’s just a drop in the bucket of facts in this doctor’s helpful story. By Jennifer Brown, MD
Why. It’s. So. Hard. To. Focus.
Stress and anxiety are the top reasons people say they struggle to focus, according to a new survey. That’s no surprise to psychologists. But there are several other reasons, and… here’s a little-known fact: Often our inability to focus is the brain’s way of telling us something is wrong. If we listen to our own minds, we can overcome, but not by merely trying harder to focus. Learn how to manage distractions and improve productivity and, really, just be happier. By Robert Roy Britt
Most Food Isn’t Medicine
More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates advised “Let thy food be thy medicine.” Not a bad idea, but it’s a narrow view of nutrition, argues our resident neurologist/psychiatrist in this somewhat contrarian view that explains the limitations of food as a cure-all. While he acknowledges the importance of good diets, he enumerates other factors that influence physical and mental health “at least as much as do diets.” By John Kruse MD, PhD
I hope we’ve helped make your tomorrow a little better than today. Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends.
Cheers,
Rob