Do people ever go to the political rallies of their candidate’s opponent? When’s the last time someone has done that? Shouldn’t we see what the opposition has to say, shouldn’t we try to understand their platform? If you say the rally is all hype and no substance, isn’t the same true for your own candidate’s rally? And the bigger question: if the rallies are all hype and no substance, why do we even have them? Why do we blindly support this person or the other? Part of it is our own biology, our psychology, of wanting to belong, to be surrounded by people who are like us. And that biology is an underlying root to a lot of our species’ issues—but that’s for other posts. Being patriotic, being a responsible citizen, is knowing the agenda of all candidates, not just your own. It is patriotic to listen to the opposition, to understand them, to hear what they have to say. And to consider their perspective for yourself. Being patriotic is recognizing that it’s okay to disagree, but also believing that the other side wants the best for themselves and their country as well—the opposition isn’t evil. The opposition is human. If we can adopt a more unified political perspective, that everyone is doing what they believe is best for themselves and humanity, then we can achieve progress. Being patriotic is being understanding. Being patriotic is having a wider perspective. Being a patriot is not being about you, but being about all.