Good Reasonable People

The Psychology Behind America's Dangerous Divide

By: Keith Payne

Narrated by: Keith Payne

A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2024

“An eye-opening analysis of why our politics have become so polarized….Keith Payne illuminates one of the biggest problems of our time and lights the way toward some promising solutions.”
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again

"Good Reasonable People challenges each of us to drop the weapon of demonization and replace it with something more powerful: a framework for understanding—and for being understood by—people who see the world differently from us."
—Margot Lee Shetterly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures

A leading social scientist explains the psychology of our current social divide and how understanding it can help reduce the conflicts it causes

There has been much written about the impact of polarization on elections, political parties, and policy outcomes. But Keith Payne’s goal is more personal: to focus on what our divisions mean for us as individuals, as families, and as communities. This book is about how ordinary people think about politics, why talking about it is so hard, and how we can begin to mend the personal bonds that are fraying for so many of us.

Drawing upon his own research and his experience growing up in a working class, conservative Christian family in small town Kentucky, Payne argues that there is a near-universal human tendency to believe that people who are different from us are irrational or foolish. The fundamental source of our division is our need to flexibly rationalize ideas in order to see ourselves as good people.

Understanding the psychology behind our political divide provides clues about how we can reduce the damage it is causing. It won’t allow us to undo our polarization overnight, but it can give us the tools to stop going around in circles in frustrating arguments. It can help us make better choices about how we engage in political debates, how policy makers and social media companies deal with misinformation, and how we deal with each other on social media. It can help us separate, if we choose to, our political principles from our personal relationships so that we can nurture both.

Critic reviews

“An eye-opening analysis of why our politics have become so polarized. Drawing on his professional expertise as a social psychologist as well as his personal experience with family fault lines, Keith Payne illuminates one of the biggest problems of our time and lights the way toward some promising solutions.”
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again

“Good Reasonable People challenges each of us to drop the weapon of demonization and replace it with something more powerful: a framework for understanding—and for being understood by—people who see the world differently from us.”
—Margot Lee Shetterly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures

“Compelling, eye-opening research that humanizes political discord and encourages understanding and compassion.”
—Kirkus Review

“impeccably timed for this fractious election season”
—The New York Times Daily Review

Understanding of how we come to our political perspectives.

Historical, sociological and psychological analysis of perspectives woven in with personal history. Hard to change since rationalization guides preexisting beliefs

Good path to happiness in a world of Trumpsters.

Ever ask yourself what your position would be if you grew up in a family that owned slaves? Not sure I’m convinced, but this book shows us how some can explain away anything they want to believe.

Interesting cognitive science

The author has a compelling perspective on the political divide we all face. I appreciated his reporting of clinical studies that expose our implicit biases. In the end, however I was sad that not even someone who studies these issues can point us towards a way out of this mess

Scholastic rigor

Demographic trend appears favorable for harmony but likely painful. We should be optimistic
I hope

How to communicate with the opposite political viewpoint and save or repair relationships while doing so

The different perspectives on the author’s life experiences and how higher education relates to what he does today