Here's an uncomfortable truth: democracy only works if roughly half the country is disappointed after every election.
That's not a flaw. It's the design. And we've lost sight of why it matters.
The Bargain We Made
Democratic governance is a bargain. We agree to pursue power through votes instead of violence, and in exchange, we accept that sometimes—often—we won't get what we want. The system's legitimacy depends on losers accepting the outcome, not because they're happy about it, but because they trust the process.
When that trust breaks, the bargain breaks with it.
Why Losing Got Harder
Several things changed. Media fragmentation means we rarely encounter the other side's best arguments. Geographic sorting means we rarely know people who voted differently. And political identity became personal identity—losing an election now feels like losing yourself.
"When your politics become your identity, compromise becomes self-betrayal."
The Way Forward
I don't have a clean solution. But I know it starts with lowering the stakes we've artificially raised. Not every election is an existential crisis. Not every policy disagreement is a moral emergency. Sometimes your side loses, and life goes on, and you try again next time.
That's not cynicism. That's the system working as intended.