Can you pass the 5-5-2 test?
A simple heuristic to determine whether you're a part of the problem of polarization
Political polarization has undoubtedly become one of the most existential threats facing the United States in recent decades. 87% of Americans believe that polarization is a threat to America, so there’s little doubt that the problem is acknowledged by most.
Unfortunately, while humans are pretty good at recognizing biases in others, we’re famously terrible at recognizing our own biases. This phenomenon has been well-understood for millennia, with Jesus Christ even saying as much in the Gospel of Matthew, “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).
The ancient Delphic maxim to “know thyself” is an injunction to self-reflect and recognize one’s own biases and faults. It sounds great, but due to cognitive biases, truly “knowing thyself” is more difficult than most people realize.
Luckily, simple heuristics can help bridge the gap, and often reveal surprising truths about ourselves that we wouldn’t have come to with generic self-reflection.
The 5-5-2 test aims to help bridge the gap between the 87% of Americans who believe polarization is a problem and the virtually same number of Americans who incorrectly don’t view themselves as part of that problem.
The goal is to pass all three prongs of the test, and if you can't, you're likely a part of the polarization problem.
The 5-5-2 Test
For someone who leans conservative, the test would be:
Do you have 5 friends or family members who lean liberal?
Do you have 5 personal political beliefs which lean liberal?
Do you regularly consume news from at least 2 left-leaning news sources?
The test would obviously be reversed for someone who leans to the left.
Most Americans don't fall neatly into one partisan camp or another. This test is a good reminder that not falling neatly into a partisan camp is an ideal, not a defect.
Do you pass the test? If not, your view of the “other side” is probably a low-resolution caricature. If you didn’t pass, what are some steps you can take to pass within the next six months? Trying to build a friendship with a liberal at work? Genuinely digging into a few conservative positions and understanding why they are popular? Signing up to receive a new newsletter? if any of these ideas repulse you, you’re definitely a part of the problem.
The test is simple, yet likely difficult to pass for many. By sticking to this ideal, hopefully we can better understand the other side and view each other with a little more empathy. It’s great that Americans collectively recognize that polarization is a problem. The next step is a clear-eyed understanding of how we individually contribute to it.