So, just to give some context. I live in a no-name Irish town and spend a lot of my time indoors on the internet, leaving me passively tuned into what's going on in the US and UK often enough. I was put through catholic and high schools, be in my last few years of the latter personally shifted to agnosticism.

I am prone to playing devil's advocate, trying to understand the perspectives of people I disagree with and can be reluctant to commit to taking a side when it doesn't feel necessary. I was born in 98, putting me very close to the border of millennials and gen Z age-wise. Finally, I don't consider myself overly politically minded, I don't actively follow politics and usually don't talk politics because I think I'm bad at debating and articulating my beliefs.

That said, I've personally perceived and grown concerned that people are quick to lump each other into groups and adopt the us-vs-them mentality where if you try argue against some of their parts they can be quick to assume your part of a, usually opposing, group and thusly make some big assumptions about their beliefs and intentions.

Whether it be theists vs non-theists, left vs right, woke vs based, boomers vs zoomers vs millenials, etc.

My main concern is that many people these days, rather than engage in civil discussion or live and let live, seem prone to going on the automatic attack, assuming that discussion is pointless based on intent or belief, causes the person they attack to go on the defensive and begin view there group/cause in a more negative light with both being slow to back down or deescalate. This is bad because, in my eyes, the only thing accomplished is increasing divides and hostility where it may be unnecessary.

​

So, I really want to know. Is it just me? How many other people think the worlds getting a little too polarized/confrontational?