[kgwxd]

I think people are more eager to minimize tension in person. "polarization" is a term used most by the people that cause the tension in the first place. They use the term to dismiss the actual argument. Unfortunately, they're more likely to get their way through in-person decision making, because they're more comfortable standing in the way, and make everyone else walk around them. Not sure which role the author played in this one, but somebody just wanted to get past the discussion because they wanted it to end, not because the right conclusion was finally reached.