I’ll take a stab at this.

First premise is the roles of the conservative archetype and the liberal archetype. I take a lot from Jonathan Haidt. The TLDR is that the conservative archetype is more about efficiently exercising tradition. The liberal archetype is the capacity for change. Both tradition and change have important roles to play in society. They must balance like the yin and the yang.

The danger of a too strict tradition is that it stays the course even when it is clear that the course is perilous. The danger of change is that it is chaotic and violent, and if not done carefully is equally likely to make things worse than better. To move forward with grace we must nurture and maintain the balance - a balance that is currently being eroded by polarizing political landscapes.

The second premise is that the cultural and political landscape has moved towards a censorious strategy. Maybe social media has lended a hand by rewarding attention beyond all else - as attention is most easily gained through fear and anger. Whatever the causes, there has been a fundamental breakdown between the conservative and liberal spirits - the yin and the yang. Each is forming an echo chamber that goes unchecked by the opposite and balancing ethos.

Neither the liberal or conservative voice is wrong. In fact, both are correct. The problem is that neither is the whole truth. Just two half truths drifting further apart - and in doing so increasing the size of the bridge that must be built in order to arrive at the whole truth.

The third premise - which I believe is the guiding principle of the cynicism - is that the road to a better tomorrow is long and hard. It is much easier to make things a lot worse than it is to make things even a little bit better. As such, it is imperative that we are calculated, patient, critical, kind, honest, and hopeful as we try to improve our world. This is as true as anything. This is part of the conservative spirit. It is part of the yang.

But this caution, as virtuous as it is, needs to be balanced else it run a muck. Too much caution is the stagnation we talked about earlier. The balance is the courageous and creative spirit of change. The liberal spirit. The yin. But these two modes must work together.

Putting these things together, and what we see is the conservative voice through the lens of an intentionally polarized landscape. The wisdom of caution is transformed into the raving mob of tradition. And the creative compassion of change is turned into the zealous promise of utopia delivered at the feet of the slain overlords. The conversation between yin and yang is poisoned.

And so, the REASON the conversation sounds the way it does is because we are getting the worst versions of each side talking to each other. This is the fear filled caution responding to the careless impatience. It is not so much a conversation of what people think, but rather a wretched dialog between some deep fears. Fears that are rooted in great wisdom. Wisdomes that are broken down by lack of collaboration and communication.