How to Tell if Someone Isn’t a Serious Political Thinker
This should make you question whether you think for yourself too
America is experiencing one of the most divisive times in history. People get attached to their political party like their favorite sports team and think they do no wrong and the other party and its members are evil. They are in lockstep with every position of their party and both sides are guilty.
It’s easy to see if someone falls into the trap of ideological capture without giving issues thought. If you hear what a person says about one issue and you can predict their stance on a few others, they follow the party line and don’t question much. The problem is it’s easier to follow what your favorite media sources and politicians say than to examine all sides of the issue.
There’s no reason why left-wing and conservative people should think about guns, abortion, race, immigration, the war in Ukraine, Israel issues, and climate change the same way since they are unrelated issues. Why can’t you believe global warming is a problem and support open carry? It should be possible to have diverse thoughts.
If you hear what a person says about one issue and you can predict their stance on a few others, they follow the party line and don’t question much.
The most interesting conversations to participate in or listen to are ones where you don’t know what the other person will say or have a nuanced view of their preferred political party. Most of the time it’s boring if right or left-wing talking points get regurgitated. There’s almost no chance opinions will change if you debate someone on the opposite side of the political aisle no matter what facts get presented.
One of the best ways to see if someone is a serious thinker on politics is to find out if there’s anything they changed their mind on. I’ve changed my opinion on gay marriage from being against it to not caring if gay people get married. I was fully behind the Iraq war but now I’m skeptical of most conflicts, especially without defining success and a clear exit plan. I’d be open to some type of government option for healthcare after an experience I had if we had more competent people in government.
People who follow politics have plenty of ways to escape their ideological bubbles and learn about the other side. There are good center-left or center-right podcasts if you can’t take listening to NPR or Steve Bannon. Podcasts such as Breaking Points with Krystal and Saager, PBD Podcast, Triggernometry, Lex Fridman Podcast, Honestly with Bari Weiss, and The Joe Rogan Experience have diverse guests and conversations.
Unfortunately, so many people get captured by one worldview without much thought. Someone may never hear a reasonable argument from the other side with the bubbles we inhabit. Start paying attention to some different sources a little to the left or right of where you stand and see what you think then.