From the Inbox: We Asked Liberals and Conservatives to Compliment Each Other—Here’s What Happened.

We gave our readers a simple—but not so simple—assignment: “If you’re liberal, say something nice about conservatives. If you’re conservative, say something nice about liberals.”

Scroll through for the answers that surprised us most. 

The Values of Family AND Freedom

Will do one for each:

Conservatives: I appreciate how they see the value in a nuclear family and ensuring that children have a strong support system.

Liberals: I appreciate how they largely fight for justice for all. “If only some of us are free, then none of us are free.”

—Josh S

Showing Up With Grit AND Growth

Conservatives show up with grit.

They’re determined, they’ll get their hands dirty, and when their people need them, they don’t hesitate. There’s a loyalty there, a “we take care of our own” kind of backbone that I genuinely respect.

Liberals show up with openness.

They’re thinkers, question-askers, willing to sit with discomfort and let people be imperfect. There’s a curiosity and compassion there, a “we grow by listening” kind of heart that I also deeply value.

—Small Moments in Oklahoma

To Protect AND to Nurture 

Conservatives are good at protecting a country from invaders.

Liberals are good at empathy and being nonjudgmental.

I’ve oftentimes wondered if our 2 parties in the U.S. are subconsciously based on traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity. The former hunts and protects, while the latter nurtures and nests. If we could only get the two sides to work together they’d make a hell of a team!

—Jesse H

Championing Personal accountability AND Justice for All 

I admire how conservatives often emphasize personal responsibility and align with values that provide social stability.

I admire how liberals champion justice for all people and the protection of individual rights.

—Mikey P

Fiscal Responsibility AND Standing Up for the Marginalized

Independent personally, but I like the focus on fiscal responsibility and government restraint of traditional conservatives, and I like how liberals try to protect and stand up for the marginalized.

—Bim R

Core Values We All Agree On

I appreciate the conservative impulse to keep taxes low and government small, as long as those impulses are balanced by the need for a strong, working, collective infrastructure (including physical structures, our shared ecology, and the protection of equal rights). I also believe that whether one is conservative or liberal, there are many core things we all want and can agree on – such as that our children and other loved ones are fed, housed, healthy, safe, well educated, and free to pursue the life they choose.

—Claire P

On Moving to a Republican Town

I moved from a very Democratic area across the country to a very conservative one. And it’s been a real education to see how the societal norms impact the two cultures. I’ve generally really enjoyed the experience even if I don’t always agree with what was said.

I appreciate that Conservatives (in this area) have very different ideas about how to get things done because of the way they perceive they have been treated by the government (both for good and for bad). They make a lot of sense when you understand the context of why they feel that way.

I try to focus more on what we have in common vs what we don’t. Like term limits. I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t agree that we need term limits (and not just 2, 4, or 6 years—more like you can’t be in Congress for 25+ years).

—Elizabeth A