There’s a common misunderstanding about political division, UNC psychology professor Kurt Gray said. According to his research, the reason most people disagree so strongly about politics is not out of a desire to harm others, but out of a desire to protect themselves.
“No one gets up in the morning and thinks, ‘I'm a monster. I want to destroy the world,’” Gray said in an interview.
This statement embodies the idea Gray shared Monday while speaking on a panel at the global South by Southwest Conference. The session, titled “Innovating Democracy: New Ways To Power The People,” focused on finding solutions to political polarization and distrust in democracy.
Gray spoke about finding understandings between people with political disagreements, informed by his research on morality in politics. He recently published a book titled “Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground,” which discusses his findings on the topic.
Gray is the director of UNC’s Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. He said his book is the culmination of research he has done in these labs over the past decade.
Since its publication, Gray has promoted his book and its ideas at multiple speaking events and on podcasts to help others understand how to have less antagonistic interactions with people they disagree with politically. Speaking at SXSW was part of this promotional work, Gray said.
However, he said his SXSW session was different from his previous speaking events because of the nature of the audience, which was not made up of other academics, but of professionals from various fields.
“This is a place where it's really interdisciplinary and people are trying to find new solutions,” Gray said.
SXSW is an annual event held in Austin, Texas, that involves film and TV, music and comedy festivals as well as an educational conference where attendees from around the world can learn and network. SXSW 2025 was held from March 7-15.
