Basic Politics
This is what is called a “Normal Curve”.
Most people are a little surprised when they find out that almost anything and everything can be represented on a normal curve, but then they realize its pretty much how reality works. There are exceptions to every rule, including this one. Using my past experience and looking at the curve, I would say it’s very likely that the exception probably occur 2.3% to 4.6% of the time.
With the “Politics” curve I slapped together, nearly everyone who looks at it will say “Yes, that's about right”. About 68.2% probably. About 27.2% will say “I don’t think so, but, eh, close enough” and 4.6% will probably say “That's wrong”.
There is another sort-of rule that goes along with it, and I call that similarity of thought.
Let’s take a basic political topic, like “Women's Rights”, “Gun Control”, “taxation”. In order to make this a little easier to digest, I’m going to call it “Generic Topic”. At the center you have the vast majority of your people, 68.2% who don’t think the topic is all that important. The 34.2% that are left of center are generally supportive. The 34.2% that are right of center are generally non-supportive.
Going left, you have the next grouping, the 13.6% who know Generic Topic is very important, and possibly the most important political topic. This is the group where you would normally find the loud voices, the campaigners, the petition takers, the ones with the picket signs.
Going right, you have the 13.6% who know that Generic Topic is bad and possibly dangerous. Once again, you’ll find loud voices against General Topic, people protesting against it, etc.
and Then… The fringe. The 2 groups of 2.3% that most problems come from. On the left, you have the faithful, the super fans of General Topic. It’s the greatest thing and they’ll do whatever it takes to support it. it’s for the greater good!
On the Right, the ones who can see that General Topic is their enemy. It MUST be stopped, whatever it takes! it’s for the greater good!
This kinda makes sense, right? You see where it’s coming from? Well, here comes the hard part.
I’ll try to find a safe topic. I am sure I’ll fail, but I will try.
I’m going to try “vaping”.
So, from left to right, you have “Vaping is inherently evil, people who do it or support it are my personal enemies, it must be stopped”. A member of this group might sneak into a Vape juice production facility and pour Vitamin E oil into the vats, so that the people can more easily see how bad it is! I’ll call this Vape---.
Next, “Vaping is obviously bad, I don’t like it, I’m going to do what I can to make it go away”. A member of this group would write letters to their representatives, post a lot of negative information on Social Media, start petitions to have it illegalized or at least banned from the places they go. If they see someone vaping anywhere near them, they’ll let them know how much they don’t like it. This is Vape--.
Now, the middle. The 34.2% who don’t actually care, really, but they generally don’t like it. They would probably sign a petition against vaping, if they have the time. But not if they are a smoker or are in a relationship with one. They might have tried it, and not liked it. Vape-
and on the right, The 34.2% who don’t actually care, really, but they generally like it. They would sign a petition to support vaping, if they have the time. Have probably tried it, or thought about it. Vape+
then, the 13.6% who know how great it is. Not only is it fun, it saves lives! A member of this group would write letters to their representatives, post a lot of positive information on Social Media, start petitions to have Bans revoked. They give vape gifts on holidays. Vape++
And then… When someone gets around to forming the Vaping religion, they will join. Vaping is love, Vaping is life. If they find out the home address of the main senator leading the legislation against vaping, he’d better hope he has good security… Vape+++.
OK. now the apparently difficult part.
Take any of these groups, it doesn’t matter which, and they will have empathy only for the adjacent groups. The farther away from their group a group is, the less they will understand it.
Vape--. “well, I can see where the guys in Vape--- are coming from, though they are a little extreme. And the guys in Vape-, well, OK, I think they just haven’t really thought about it as much as I have”.
“The guys in Vape+? They are obviously idiots. Vape++ is just crazy, or there is something else going on there, no one could actually believe that bullshit. Vape+++? That’s a myth, isn’t it?”
Lets try Vape+. “The Vape++ group? Yes, I can mostly see their point of view, I just don’t have the time and money to devote to it. Besides, I heard one of them giving Vape- a hard time, and, what? They don’t like Vaping, they can like or dislike what they want. Vape+++? Those guys are nuts, but I don’t really believe what I’ve read about how “dangerous” they are. I think they must have different juice than any I tried, there almost as bad as the fruitcakes in Vape--”.”Vape-- Fine, you don’t like Vaping, don’t Vape! Don't try to make ME stop Vaping just because you don’t like it!, thank god they are all weak-lunged pathetic morons”. “Vape--- well, I cant really believe anyone would think that way, but if its true, they need professional help, or possibly extermination”.
And it works for pretty much ANY topic! But people have a problem with it.
What THEY think is normal or very near-normal, regardless of where they fit on a topic. If you are Gun Control-, you’ll be able to empathize with Gun Control-- and Gun Control+, you won’t really be able to agree with Gun Control---, really, really be unable to find common ground with Gun Control++, and find Gun Control+++ dangerously insane.
If you are Abortion++, you’ll be able to understand Abortion +++ and Abortion+ point of view, though you don’t share it. The Abortion- people just don’t get it, they are defective in some way, the Abortion – are nearly totally wrong, and must have other, secret reasons they are so screwed up. Abortion --- are pure, blatant terrorists.
So. why did I write this? it’s a self-diagnosis tool, partially. On any given topic, the higher the percentage of the population you can understand the point of view is, the less + or – marks you have on that topic. If you really, truly dislike something, look around. Look around in places you don’t normally go. Do other people dislike it less than you do, and you can’t find many, or maybe any people who dislike it more? You might be an extremist. I’m not saying you are WRONG, by the way. Just that you appear to have an extreme point of view, and maybe you need to think about that, and why you think that way.
It’s also a very long winded way to get the next little bit across in a way that can be understood.
If 34.2%, +/- 10% of the overall population voted for a candidate for political office, they are not crazy, Or defective, Or Evil, to have done so. They might be WRONG, but they aren’t sub-human, even if you disagree with them. Sorry.
But, as I said, it’s almost impossible for individuals who have extreme points of view to realize that they do. And the other little problem, which is that there are Evil, Crazy, basically defective human beings out there.
The final question: How do you tell the difference between someone who is genuinely Evil, or Crazy, or basically defective from someone who holds a non-adjacent point of view?
Let me know when you figure it out. The only thing I can think to do is to assume they aren’t Evil, until proven (and NOT in the court of public opinion or social media, real actual proof) Guilty.
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