When you hear that someone’s a “moderate,” it’s reasonable to assume they’re a centrist with few hardline stances on either side of the political spectrum.

People like Ohio Gov. John Kasich, President Dwight Eisenhower or any of the anti-Trump Republicans might come to mind. You might think of moderates as swing voters with weak partisan allegiances who end up deciding elections. While many of the folks described are indeed moderates, they are more aptly described as centrists or independents. But unlike centrism, liberalism or conservatism, there’s not much of an ideological purity test for moderates. There is no “moderate agenda.” Being a moderate is a matter of form, not function.

The most important part of being a moderate is never assuming anyone’s intentions. Far too often, we’re prone to assuming the worst of our political opponents. And it’s unfair to assume that difference of opinion is synonymous with causing harm. Having worked in and around politics nearly my entire life, I’ve found people almost always have the best interest of others in mind. It’s called public service for a reason.

This leads to the other important part of being a moderate, which is a willingness to accept when you’re wrong and change your beliefs in meaningful, lasting ways. This isn’t to suggest that moderates have no convictions. It means that when your convictions or stances are challenged, you shouldn’t hold to them just because they’ve always been your convictions.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a registered Republican. But I don’t believe every plank in the platform, and I see it as my duty to hold my party accountable when it doesn’t act in the interest of every American. As I’ve said, I’m more than willing to change my views on anything if they’re convincingly challenged. After all, our ability to reason — and to see reason with the proper emotion and concern for all of humanity — is what makes us human.

With this column moving forward, I’m going to talk about issues in Syracuse where problems are being created by partisan pettiness on both sides. I’m going to commend politicians who are willing to work with their opponents, and I’m going to hold politicians accountable when they hold up the good of the people for their own partisan or selfish purposes. If you take it all to heart, maybe when we’re done, you’ll be a moderate, too.

James Pezzullo is a sophomore public relations major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at jpezzull@syr.edu or followed on Twitter @JamesPezzullo.