Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

by Arlie Russell Hochschild

the more that people confine themselves to likeminded company, the more extreme their views become.

When we listen to a political leader, we don’t simply hear words; we listen predisposed to want to feel certain things.

“We’re on this earth for a limited amount of time,” he says, leaning on the edge of the window. “But if we get our souls saved, we go to Heaven, and Heaven is for eternity. We’ll never have to worry about the environment from then on. That’s the most important thing. I’m thinking long-term.”

You are a stranger in your own land. You do not recognize yourself in how others see you.

The American Dream itself has become strange, un-Bibled, hyper-materialized, and lacking in honor.

‘I’m going to believe what I want to believe even if you do give me scientific evidence.’