[INFJ] How do you feel about our very emotional political climate?

Whenever a political class feels an overwhelming existential threat irrationality prevails.

 

I believe extreme political ideologies are extremely noisy which is why it seems like the whole world seems to be going mad. I don't really think the majority of people are like this, however. What we see on TV, newspaper and social media is just the reflection of this noise which has enveloped even people that are not interested in politics to take a side with these extreme ideologues that can't see the gray amidst their black and white worldview.

Unfortunately, the moment you take a side you become the enemy of the other and you're suddenly thrown into that group along with all the prejudices and stereotypes that follows it. You're no longer an individual but an ideology that must be dealt with.

 

@Wyote and @AUM have said that the 'problem' (if we want to put it in those terms) is essentially the domination of the narrative by extreme or radical political viewpoints, which makes it difficult for the good people of the majority to exercise their democratic duty rationally, &c.

However, I'm not sure that this is the case. I think that in the US there exists a genuinely bipolar political state divided between 'conservatives' and 'liberals'.

I do not see much 'crossing of the floor' by moderates (party switching). I do not see a common platform shared by both sides without any implicit political judgement. It seems that even the most centrist people are forced to break into either of the big cliques.

I keep banging on about Social Network Analysis, so I won't go into specifics here, but just know that the theory of polarisation in this field has a silver lining: after the bipolar state is achieved, and the network is perfectly structurally balanced into two cliques, there is still a pressure towards utopia because any negative relations are unpleasant in themselves.

This 'back to utopia' can be achieved with n basically a couple of ways:

1) One clique annihilates the other clique.
2) The negative relations between cliques become positive relations.
3) The game is redefined such that opinions are no longer capable of causing negative relations. E.g. A broad range of Political opinions might become as socially acceptable as one's taste in clothing brands or restaurants, &c.

 

I hate it.

People on opposite sides of the political aisle can't agree on basic facts, this makes substantive discussion impossible.

 

As a result of this phenomenon I think most people are becoming apathetic, myopically more focused on their own lives.

Perhaps I'm projecting, Rick.

 

The thing that bothers me the most is that so many are fighting dirty. They're not just wrong about facts, they're quite obviously distorting them on purpose.

 

And as a rule, the statistics are always “biased” according to whomever you’re trying to prove a point to. It’s not that they can’t be, but they will be labeled as such 100% of the time if you’re using them in a debate.

 

I always find hope in moments where both sides of the political establishment show each other respect and reaffirm their commitment to democracy more generally.

E.g.


Part of the danger of Trump is that this 'civil discourse' and mutual respect seems that bit more difficult.