It’s less “meeting in the middle” and more “agreeing not to bring any of that stuff up in public because we both have better things to do than have the same tir

It’s less “meeting in the middle” and more “agreeing not to bring any of that stuff up in public because we both have better things to do than have the same tired argument again”. At a certain point you have to put ideals aside and meet other people as human beings. Sure, you disagree on things, but if you want progress you’ve gotta start looking for the things that make us alike. If you want to understand the differences, there’s a time and a place for that, but it’s not in the day-to-day. Go to a seminar or read a book for that. I do think the real prejudice — incapable of seeing other races / religions / sexualities as equals — is getting pushed to the fringes. Basically, if you’re truly prejudiced, the above “gentleman’s agreement” is broken. When that happens, you’re no longer seen as a gentleman but as a savage. See also the public reaction to the neo nazis in Charlottesville (confirmation bias attribution errors notwithstanding)