We seem to be in a polarized, zero-sum world, where a “win” for one is considered a defeat for another. Looking for a “win-win” situation is considered so clichéd and unrealistic that it's the basis for a popular television commercial where a business traveler changes his airline seat to avoid sitting next to his compatriot. His fellow worker's crime? He constantly seeks win-win solutions and won't stop repeating the phrase.
Yes, the win-win guy is obnoxious. But think about it: How far have we fallen—how far has the zero-sum zeitgeist infected American society—that the idea of everyone rising together has ...