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Youth, Love, Loneliness, and Politics

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25.10.2026

Young people are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of social and political polarization.

Intolerance of different perspectives and high reactivity afflict youth who think in absolutes or extremes.

Political beliefs are preferences that should be grounded in basic humanity and moral character.

The harmful effects of our polarized political and social climate result, in part, from the function of anxiety as a general central nervous system alarm, which makes the brain look for threats.

Young people are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of polarized thinking. Lacking sufficient life experience, they can easily mistake anxiety about a political or social policy for anxiety about love and friendship, and vice versa.

In the best of times, young people have a low tolerance of intellectual ambiguity and disagreement, which can undermine........

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