beware of bumper stickers.

My Ford beats your Chevy
Make America Great
Coexist
I do Yoga
Jesus Saves

It doesn't really matter if they are true or not. That's not the point of a bumper sticker. 

The point is to draw some kind of tribal line: you know where I stand. If you agree, smile and feel free to join and if you don't, get irritated and go away. So, they generally work. We have an emotional response. They start to indicate who our tribe is and who our tribe isn't.

They, generally, amplify the divide. 

Match.com says that Android users are 15 times more likely to judge someone negatively with an iPhone and iPhone users are 21 times more likely to judge someone negatively with an Android. 

Even the Apple sticker works. Emotional responses. Tribes. 

But, the problem is that we're a nation living on bumper stickers right now.

Build a wall.
Love trumps hate. 
We fight back!

It doesn't matter whether they are true or convincing. It's very rare 5 words or less will ever change someone's mind. It's rare they are intended to. They are emotional lines in the tribal sands.

You can't fight a bumper sticker with another bumper sticker. You can't lead a country with a bumper sticker. You can't lead a conversation with a bumper sticker. 

You can't do anything except polarize. 

So if you want to polarize, use a bumper sticker. Otherwise let's get real.  

 

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why do you care.

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stop. start.