Our worldview is made up of what we expect, what we believe, and what we take as given. Think of it as a lens — or set of lenses — through which we view the world. In positive politics we try to adjust our lenses enough to grasp others' worldviews and frame change in a manner that appeals to enough people to make something happen.
Two lenses are most important in positive politics. One lens is our belief system — through this we perceive what is good or bad, right or wrong. Through another lens we anticipate what is coming by linking images through the past, present, and future. The combination of belief and time lenses makes up most of one's worldview.
The belief lens instructs us which components of reality are good and which are bad, starting with human nature. The aphorism "viewing the world through rose colored glasses" describes a belief lens that makes the world seem full of harmony. An alternative belief set sees the world as rife with contention. We call the "rose colored glasses" lens harmonist and the heavily-tinted gray lens contentionist.
If one sees the world as a place of contention and views human beings as essentially selfish, then one is likely to see the role of church, society, and government as primarily that of protector. Without police and national security forces, the contentionist fears that world order will collapse. The ability to coerce is the essence of power. The contentionist distrusts other persons until they prove trustworthy — cooperation only occurs in the context of meeting a mutual threat.
If on the other hand one sees the world as a land of hope and opportunity for cooperation, one peers through a harmonist lens. Harmonists believe that persons are innately good and seek to be ethical. The primary function of institutions is to facilitate group action toward whatever goals the group adopts. The harmonist trusts other people until they prove untrustworthy — being trustworthy means being predisposed to cooperating and "following the rules."
History has a fixed beginning and progresses toward a human finality. This view, most common in western civilization, stands visible in the Judeo-Christian and Marxist traditions. Those who see time as linear tend to pursue "progress" and express concern about which direction their world is moving. They are goal-oriented and want to build something that lasts.
A linear view urges its holders toward perfectionism and permanent solutions, so that one can safely build the next project on the previous one. Someone with a linear view may want to make big changes all at once — to get a jump on history — but will also want to "get it right, once and for all."
The most common view in India, parts of East Asia, and much of the Mediterranean — history either repeats itself or each major civilization experiences a similar pattern of birth, life, and death. The future is problematic so be cautious about taking the next step; the only permanence is in regeneration or renewal.
In a work environment, the cyclical view expresses itself in a philosophical and comfortable approach to incremental change. The process may be more important than the product. Someone holding this outlook may be adept at meeting deadlines but less subject to stress. Building and preserving relationships may trump quality standards.
History is "one damn thing after another" — largely unrelated, discrete events that bear no necessary relation to one another. Thus one can restart the clock any time. New beginnings are always possible. Life is just one pick-up ball game after another: we win some, lose others, but each game is a brand new event.
When you have trouble "getting through" to someone, take time to analyze their worldview and how it might align or diverge from your own. Consider how someone else might anticipate a change you wish to effect — how they might consider your approach to security. Being open to alternative worldviews is an essential part of positive politics.
Positive politics may take longer — but we achieve more and have more fun doing it.