I’ve been a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy for 30 years. I’ve written a book and many articles about this strange place, which is nothing at all like what the taxpayers — or potential students — think it is.

Recently, the Naval Academy has been my key for understanding the deep political divisions that are splitting our country, both the actions of the current Washington administration and the reactions to it by journalists and academics. I’ve been watching this conflict in miniature for decades right here at Annapolis.

Two worlds collide at the Naval Academy, and now they’re colliding from sea to shining sea. One of these worlds is the world of what I call “people of action” — roughly congruent with conservatives, who tend to vote Republican. These people populate the military and business worlds, and make up most, if not all, of today’s Washington administration. The other world, the more reflective, intellectual world of educated professionals with respect for expertise and objective fact, is made up of what I call “people of words” — i.e., the liberals.

People of action don’t waste time talking, they act. And one action is followed by another, so usually they don’t waste time apologizing when they screw things up. For them, lies are a legitimate strategy designed to mislead the enemy, as Sun Tzu wrote millennia ago in “The Art of War,” and weakness is something to be overcome, not coddled.

People of action are big on touting virtues like strength, leadership and “character,” which essentially means means “whatever I do is good because I’m the one doing it.” It all boils down to this: I’m in charge, and I make the decisions. And this means you get perks. As the military says, RHIP: Rank Hath Its Privileges. You live in a “command bubble.” Everybody says “sir” or “ma’am” to you, and they know not to give you negative news. It’s your command, after all. You don’t want anybody questioning you.

Of course, this frequently leads to the misuse of authority. Check out the Navy’s unfolding Fat Leonard scandal. Or the fact that three of our recent superintendents either have been removed for malfeasance before their terms ended or reprimanded afterward.

Contrasted to this world is the world of the civilian professors who teach most courses at Annapolis and elsewhere, and to which I belong. Our world is very concerned with speaking truth that can be verified. People of words — professors, journalists — see rationality as more important than setting groups against each other; we believe words can bring people together and see the point of the game to be understanding. People of action see the point as winning.

The basis of the academic world, and of civil society, is the general belief held by people of words that disagreement can be resolved by rational discussion. If somebody tells you you’re wrong, you ask them to justify that. You don’t attack them personally, as people of action (the military and the current Washington administration) so often do.

These two worlds collide regularly at Annapolis, with the military brass having no clue about the civilian professionals who teach most of the courses, or the point of education as opposed to training. And now they are colliding in our country as never before, with the different types turning against one another when they should be working together to preserve our interests.

People of words need to be the diplomats who negotiate to see if we can avoid killing our sons and daughters — and those of other countries — through war. People of action need to be the hammer when this fails.

The admiration people of action have for individual strength and discipline is fully warranted, and I too admire it at Annapolis. But force has to be justified — the specialty of people of words.

Bruce Fleming is a tenured civilian professor at the U.S. Naval Academy who sometimes expresses views not shared by the administration. Twitter: @bef_annapolis.