The Combatant Profile is high in hope and low in humility. They are fighting political battles because they believe their side can win. However, their fighting spirit is untempered by the possibility that “they do not know what they are asking.” They believe confidently that their side is right, and that’s that.

We may see this among uncompromising young activists with sweeping policy demands, overzealous parents at a PTA meeting, or just that person who dominates conversations about politics. They engage because they believe their world can improve, but they miss the complexity of an issue or the validity present in opposing views.

In politics, Combatants exercise a level of influence that greatly exceeds their actual numbers. This is because politics – like any human activity — is dominated by those who care the most. And out of all the profiles, the Combatants care the most about winning. For them, the stakes are very high.

Picture the Combatant as the one who has their fists up to the world. They are more than ready to engage, but their posture means they are also defending themselves against any countervailing influence.

The Exhausted Profile is the mirror image of the Combatant. The Exhausted is low in hope and high in humility. This profile is essentially humble: they do not claim to have all the answers. In fact, they fear that no one can figure a way out of the current conflict, and so have given up on politics entirely.

We see this exhaustion among people skipping family reunions riven by partisan conflict, blocking anyone posting politics on social media, and changing the subject whenever this topic comes up in conversations. When conflict arises, they want to hide and back away into the bushes.

In America, surveys show that this profile is much more widespread than any other profile, giving rise to the term, “The Exhausted Majority.” Compared to the Combatants on both sides, the Exhausted Majority holds more moderate views, are more open to compromise, and dislike the spirit of hatred overtaking politics. However, the Exhausted actually exercise much less influence than would be warranted by their actual numbers. The reason is obvious: you cannot exert influence when you are hiding in the bushes.

Picture the Exhausted as the one who has their shoulders slumped and their face buried in their hands. In their politics, they are not offending or hurting others; but they also are squandering their potential influence for good.

The Cynic Profile is low in both humility and hope. Like the Combatant, Cynics believe they are right, and are not really open to learning otherwise; it’s just that unlike the Combatant, the Cynic is especially self-convinced about one particular truth: that things are hopeless. Like the Exhausted, the Cynics have given up — it’s just that unlike the Exhausted, the Cynics are so self-certain that they influence others with their deep seated pessimism.

In their combination of certitude and disengagement, Cynics can seem sophisticated (indeed, for many Cynics, this is part of the appeal of this posture). Their disengagement actually makes their critical takes more convincing than that of the Combatant (who can be more easily dismissed as biased). As confident and seemingly sophisticated critics, Cynics often exercise social influence disproportionate to their numbers.

However, the long-term effect of the Cynic is corrosive. At the individual level, cynicism is self-corrosive, as this posture leaves the holder stewing in a spiritually degrading mix of pride and despair. At the broader societal level, the spread of the “I know better” and “everything is hopeless” combination undermines our institutions. Institutions depend on people trusting institutional knowledge. However, as more citizens are influenced by the self-certitude of cynicism, the average person is increasingly willing to believe that he – armed with a few online videos produced by fringe voices (that sound very confident) – know better about the complexities of a virus and a vaccine than established scientific institutions. Institutions also depend on the participation of people. However, as politicians who lose elections cynically undermine trust in the election system, people feel any kind of engagement is hopeless; they don’t bother to even vote (much less volunteer as much needed election-workers).

Picture the Cynic with arms folded, eyebrows slightly arched, and standing above it all. In their politics, they are not offering their own constructive energy, only proffering critiques that tear down what is around them, especially the institutions that run so much of our lives.

The Disciple Profile is the one who is high in Humility and Hope because they have submitted their political lives to Jesus. The Disciple is humble: they recognize that the political world is defined by complexity, and this means that there are rarely obvious and easy answers. The Disciple believes firmly in objective truth, but is much less firm that they themselves have complete ownership of truth. The Disciple thus is willing – indeed eager – to listen and learn from others, including others who might hold different views.

The Disciple is also filled with Hope. The Disciple believes that Jesus is the Lord, the King of Kings. They have faith that Jesus will ultimately restore all of creation – including the political world – to God’s loving and just purposes. The Disciple places their hope for this final restoration in Jesus and his final return, not in human political parties or leaders. In the meantime, the Disciple seeks to serve the world by acting as signposts to that ultimate Hope.

Picture the Disciple as the one whose head is inclined forward seeking to listen and learn, and whose arms are held open ready to accept and serve.