I used to consider myself a moderate. As a young man in the mid 1980s, I loved socializing with as many people as possible and it wasn't difficult to find common ground, even when there were strong differences. At some point in the mid to late 1990s, my extended hand of friendship started getting slapped away. After years of broadcasting unopposed opinions, Rush Limbaugh smashed the minds of millions of listeners and trained his congregation to view moderates as part of the problem. Shouting down callers with opposing views, insulting them and hanging up on them. Monkey see, monkey do. These days I'm comfortably left of center. I agree that finding ways to engage can only be helpful, and exposing ourselves to opposing opinions facilitates growth, but now it feels more challenging to find someone willing to engage in civil discourse than ever. Have you ever tried having a balanced or calm conversation with a qanon person? Sometimes it might be more prudent to walk away.