In my experience with the particular type of situation in the article, stark disagreements come out of a difference in the "reality" that you inhabit. From one

In my experience with the particular type of situation in the article, stark disagreements come out of a difference in the "reality" that you inhabit. From one reality the claims you make seem perfectly reasonable. From another, they might sound ridiculous. The actual difficulty of the situation is reconciling the two realities, not the assertions themselves. I was just watching this recording of a debate from 1965: https://vimeo.com/18413741 https://vimeo.com/18413741 and James Baldwin's speech (starts around 14:30) on the different realities that a white and black person inhabit, and I think it's a good illustration of the issue. Not for lack of good intention, one person's idea of the reality of the problem is often different from another's, so no wonder these two people might have trouble understanding each other. Separately from that, I see a particular troubling pattern practiced most commonly by the people who believe in specific causes so ardently that you have to walk on eggshells: when you disagree with them, they attribute the worst possible intent to your disagreement, rather than seeing an opportunity to engage.