Mac1958
Diamond Member
- Thread starter
- #21
Good reads. The way i view it (aside from the sound assertion above regarding cognitive dissonance) many just don't cross check information. They become information loyalists. They will cling bitterly to bias information and don't bother to listen to anything else on a subject.
So yeah, they sincerely believe what they spew more often than not. And when confronted with conflicting information, immediately takes on a defensive position to insulate themselves from inner conflict over their loyalist information source.
YES.
Now, my question is "why"? It's looking more and more, at least what I've seen so far, to be a self-esteem issue. These people have an emotional, visceral reaction to having their views challenged, and react by clinging even more tightly to those views. Such behavior provides them with "a port in the storm", and that feeling is cemented by reinforcement from those who share their views.
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I think the "why" is rooted in the economic situation we are currently in.
If you are ultra rich and have been doing great for the past 10 years, why not be a partisan for the party that promises you even more wealth.
If you have suffered from job loss, housing loss, retirement loss etc, why not be a partisan for the party that offers to help you regain your loss?
If EVERYONE from the top incomes on down were doing great (think back to the 50ties and 60ties) then I don't think that partisanship would be nearly as popular.
And of course I can't ever remember anywhere close to the nunber of partisan media outlets selling advertising and partisanship. And these outlets are having a big effect on the partisans.
Human nature seems to be partisan in a way. No one roots against their own self interest.
Unless you are a real big partisan.
When you are losing ground in the middle class but worrying about the taxes that the ultra wealthy pay or don't pay, you know you are an extreme partisan.
But I don't know why.
Well, according to what I'm seeing, the "why" is a personality trait that predisposes people to play the game. They're saying it's a self-esteem issue.
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