Book excerpt: WHY WE'RE DIVIDED examines the culture wars not simply as a difference of opinion, but as a conflict of self and identity where the sides are opposed according to differences in the underlying meaning of issues. It's a conflict much like the difference between the trophy for excellence vs. "everybody gets a trophy" approach in children's sports. In the politics of the culture wars in America, an inclusive relational identity on the left, meets a separating and standards identity of an accomplishment priority from the right. WHY WE'RE DIVIDED, exposes the conflict not as a problem of right or wrong, but rather one where the essential truths on each side have been exaggerated out of their proper roles to make a name for the self and "celebrity" of the speakers.WHY WE'RE DIVIDED explores the method (inclusion vs. separation) to reveal how the meaning behind the constant negative and accusatory tweeting from the president has shamed an inclusive and relational culture by declaring it failed (unaccomplished) and therefore not accepted. At the same time a inclusive and relational priority culture on the left, continuously demands a standards-less acceptance, redistribution of wealth and socialism. This naturally affronts and shames the accomplishment priority of the dominant working culture on the right, repelling it with the prospect of flipping the culture to one where personal and real world failure must be tolerated and accepted as normal. In these identity wars each side continuously confronts and shames the other as the human condition plays out fully exposed by social media and the Internet.WHY WE'RE DIVIDED explains the origin of this conflict as well as the developments that have forced the culture wars into the forefront of American politics. It then backtracks to explore the origin and first principles behind each truth and explains how they could operate in cooperation as well as the costs and demands such a transition would put on us should we choose to escape or not.