Why do people subscribe to polarized thinking?
Why do people subscribe to polarized, partisan thinking when they know that neither party in the US is 100% right all the time, nor do they stick to a specific ethos?
Why do people believe what pundits tell them when they know that they don't tell the objective truth?
Why do people choose their news based on poltical bias when they know that bias does not get you closer to the truth, and overt bias is an indication of poor, yellow journalism?
These things bother me. The people do these things are allowing a political party to think for them rather than do their own research. It is as if they are deliberately letting themselves believe things knowing they are untrue.
We should be concerned with what works, what has been tried before and failed, along with lessons from history and what is pragmatic. If something works, or fixes a problem, we should consider it. Polarized thinking does not consider what would work.
Can anyone provide any insight to this?
Please do not turn this into a name-calling match.
Those who actually subscribe to polarized thinking would actively deny the very fallibility you indicate. These people are largely incapable of thinking for themselves and find it easier to adopt the mantras of people who assert their truth. I actually consider these people to be in the relative minority. I think most people do not actively subscribe to partisan polarization, but see little alternative within a bipartisan system. 1
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But then how come so many people vote against their interests or jump on a partisan bandwagon that runs counter to their interests? For example, we know people are causing global warming, and there is a ton of scientific evidence that literally proves that, but many people (mostly in the US, which is embarrassing to me as an American), vote for candidates that overtly deny science, which perpetuates the damage to the planet that is harming them (the voter). So, if people voted in their interests, why would they vote for people who are okay with destroying their planet, or vote for people whose policies are known to not work? Know what I mean? People (particularly polarized right wingers) literally go against their own interests. 1
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But then how come so many people vote against their interests or jump on a partisan bandwagon that runs counter to their interests? This happens because a party or candidate represents more than one interest such as global warming and the economy for example. It is extremely hard to boost the economy while mandating new environmental rules. It takes money to make a cleaner world. What one has to do is decide what is more important, short range or long range objectives. If one cannot buy groceries, one does care much how the world will be in ten years. I assume they know because basic facts are out there, and most people have all of mankind's knowledge in their pockets, so I assume that people fact-check what pundits say. To not realize that partisan thinking is fallacious is to ignore facts that are easily available. Know what I mean? There really is no excuse for ignorance in today's world. 1
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