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I think the bigger knee jerk reaction is the need to assign everybody to one side or the other, to the point that nobody perceives any outgroup moderates; anyti

I think the bigger knee jerk reaction is the need to assign everybody to one side or the other, to the point that nobody perceives any outgroup moderates; anytime they encounter someone with a moderately out-group opinion, they assume the rest of the opinions held by that person must be the most extreme implied by their leaning. Thus people become entrenched in their position as it appears that the out-group is becoming more extreme, ironically leading to a feedback loop that creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of increasing polarization. Or at least, it creates the perception of increased polarization, which is what causes the problems. I like to suggest that you should imagine the most absurd caricature of a member of the out-group that you can think of - whether that's a "leftist" or a "MAGA republican" - and then ask yourself how many people you actually know who fit that description. Are you creating a scarecrow that's an amalgam of all the viewpoints you oppose?

mistermann 3y ago
I don't think it's it's just a need, under certain topics many people are simply not able to do otherwise than assume... In these cases, the reality they perceive seems to be almost entirely driven by imagination, and any suggestion that the claims may(!) not actually true is simply rejected outright - if you take them at their word it is literally impossible.
watwut 3y ago
> whether that's a "leftist" or a "MAGA republican" Funny enough, there are not symmetrical. MAGA republican is a rather specific extreme subgroup with own set of believes and symbols - red Maga hat. Moderate Republicans do not self identify as Maga. Meanwhile, "leftist" is rather large group with no real definition. It includes people who are vaguely for social system or just democrats or just don't treat LGBT as enemies. It is roughly anyone left of right wing. But, in a need to create symmetry, you write about these two as if they were the same. And that is exactly an issue with knee jerk centrists. They end up being damagingly and unfairly wrong in their assessments.

mistermann 3y ago

I don't think it's it's just a need, under certain topics many people are simply not able to do otherwise than assume... In these cases, the reality they perceive seems to be almost entirely driven by imagination, and any suggestion that the claims may(!) not actually true is simply rejected outright - if you take them at their word it is literally impossible.

watwut 3y ago

> whether that's a "leftist" or a "MAGA republican" Funny enough, there are not symmetrical. MAGA republican is a rather specific extreme subgroup with own set of believes and symbols - red Maga hat. Moderate Republicans do not self identify as Maga. Meanwhile, "leftist" is rather large group with no real definition. It includes people who are vaguely for social system or just democrats or just don't treat LGBT as enemies. It is roughly anyone left of right wing. But, in a need to create symmetry, you write about these two as if they were the same. And that is exactly an issue with knee jerk centrists. They end up being damagingly and unfairly wrong in their assessments.