Rational Ignorance
Listening to people and ideas you disagree with is a learned skill. It doesn't come naturally; nor is it taught well in our culture which devalues the ability. Americans often lack information, but we rarely lack conviction. This is one of the many challenges faced by voters. Unfortunately, partisanship and clinging to uninformed ideas does not solve problems. If it did, abortion, capital punishment, gay and lesbian rights, and immigration policy would all be resolved. Instead, we debate them continually, rarely progressing towards anything resembling cooperation, consensus, or synergistic solutions.
