Last week, former Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore lost to Democratic candidate Doug Jones in the Alabama special election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Moore was a controversial candidate, to say the least, with accusations of sexual assault against children during his 30s. Even the Republican Party’s support for their candidate was mixed. The GOP cut off funding for Moore until the president endorsed him, and other members of the party were clearly in opposition, with Alabama’s Republican senior senator, Richard Shelby, saying “I wouldn't vote for Roy Moore” and several Republican senators stating Moore would face an ethics investigation if he had won the seat.

But, Roy Moore didn’t win. And, though so much has been said about hyperpartisanship in the United States, Alabama’s special election indicates that certain rules still do exist. It shows that even in a state that has become solidly Republican, a victory for one’s party is not worth any cost.

Moore was an example of a person undeserving of a spot in an institution with so much history and prestige, a display of bipartisanship in order to prevent his election. Yet, I think we should not ignore the need for a greater amount of this spirit, both in Congress and in our everyday lives. We should not only want bipartisanship to prevent certain negative outcomes, but also need it to improve our nation.

Too often I hear people (of both sides of the aisle) claim they refuse to interact with others simply because of politics, that they are incapable of friendship with someone who sees the world differently than they do.

Last week, I saw the following video of Joe Biden appearing on ABC’s The View with the daughter of Arizona Senator John McCain, who was diagnosed earlier this year with an aggressive form of brain cancer (as explained in the video), the same kind that led to the death of Biden’s son, Beau, in 2015.

Though Biden and McCain are of opposite parties and even ran against each other during the 2008 presidential campaign, Biden and McCain remain friends. They disagree, but they respect one another deeply. Biden genuinely cares about McCain and sees him as a decent human being, something people unaffiliated with Washington (sometimes including myself) seem incapable of doing.

The Moore win was a start on the right path, but beyond this election, I think working to build better relationships with the other side is something essential for all to improve. If we can build a sense of trust and dignity with the other side, then even when we disagree on specific policies, we can come together when it matters most. We will not need to worry about candidates like Roy Moore as much because we will be able to come together when needed.