Are people basically bad or basically good?

The notion that we absolutely understand "the truth" in politics, and that everybody else is "stupid" and / or "evil" is a notion that we must gradually outgrow.

We swim in a sea of manipulating presentations. Just look at the little "news items" pumped to most phones and laptops. Stop and examine them for the clear bias displayed by their word choices. Don't miss just how much that we are told is unobjective click bait, disguised as "news" but meant to sell a position or a political or ideological brand.

We are told that the other side is "fascist." But we fail to understand what "fascism" really means. There are no prominent American politicians who are "fascist," no matter what we passionately believe after being reassured that "we're right" and that the "other side is stupid and evil" over and over by people being paid to take a particular perspective.

Nearly every issue has two sides. BOTH sides need to be heard, to come to a rational decision. LISTEN to each other and stop calling others "stupid" and "evil" and "fascist" merely because they see a different side of some argument.

Too many people are too certain of their own understanding, and that seems to be getting worse.

@Noflaps said in #41:

The notion that we absolutely understand "the truth" in politics, and that everybody else is "stupid" and / or "evil" is a notion that we must gradually outgrow.

We swim in a sea of manipulating presentations. Just look at the little "news items" pumped to most phones and laptops. Stop and examine them for the clear bias displayed by their word choices. Don't miss just how much that we are told is unobjective click bait, disguised as "news" but meant to sell a position or a political or ideological brand.

We are told that the other side is "fascist." But we fail to understand what "fascism" really means. There are no prominent American politicians who are "fascist," no matter what we passionately believe after being reassured that "we're right" and that the "other side is stupid and evil" over and over by people being paid to take a particular perspective.

Nearly every issue has two sides. BOTH sides need to be heard, to come to a rational decision. LISTEN to each other and stop calling others "stupid" and "evil" and "fascist" merely because they see a different side of some argument.

Too many people are too certain of their own understanding, and that seems to be getting worse.

I think the Washington Post (or was it the Times?) did an article on this - the power of group think is not to be underestimated, and is often used in politics.

People really like focusing on who's outside of their "group" instead of who's in the group. Because focusing on who's outside helps identify scapegoats, which are very useful in politics when you don't want to really solve a problem, and instead want to blame the problem on someone else.

You can't separate people into cubes. Everyone is unique, not a carboard cut out. The only similarity between us all are genders and the fact we share a species.

"Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Not entirely sure whether people are bood or gad.

@sdkman said in #22:

Funny enough no. The fact that the addition of wassim is a great example or political lies, better then both lies mentioned, because the way they lie is different then the rest. You would know if you take a look at their educational system, something that can be considered just the best way lies can be used in politics

I feel like the "best," or should I call it worst (?) lie is where someone is brainwashed into thinking that their side is infalliable. Maybe this happens in education. Maybe in the media. But I think the worst lie is when people devolve into "us vs the world", believing themselves to have an inflated sense of understanding. It hurts everybody, including themselves.

I found this video once: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOLmD_WVY-E and I think it applies to intelligence and politics as well. We believe that we know everything when we don't, or we believe a side is incapable of doing wrong when it is, and it leads to this dangerous mentality where we believe everything that goes against this point of view is wrong.

Sometimes, people take this lie further. They create "neutral" or "centrist" sources that are actually neither. Although, keep in mind this also goes the opposite extreme, where people start denouncing neutral sources that don't agree with their point of view.

These are the kinds of lies that politicians that don't have your best interests in mind want you to believe. They want you to believe you are a small minority battling the rest of the world. Because then, and only then, do they have a strong sense of control over you.

(I feel like I should add a disclaimer: this post accuses neither Israel nor Palestine. I'm just looking at the general world and not pointing fingers)

Good

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