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Why do people have issues validating people who have different views?

This is a thing that's always bothered me. Like, when people say "this guy is a Leftie, so..." "this guy is alt-right, so..." and refuse to listen to what the other has to say.

I sort of used to be a neo-nazi, but life experiences made me realize that most of what I believed was horribly wrong, and [i]I'm proud[/i] to say I'm much more to the left now. However, while on both sides of the spectrum, people kept saying things like "the left are stupid ignoramuses, don't listen to them" or "the right are narrow-minded racists whose opinions are only there to benefit themselves" which is some [b]absolute bullshit both ways[/b].

It's so disappointing to see people resort to name-calling when discussing things. Why can't people respect other people's opinions? Don't people realize that people always have reasoning behind their views?

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Invisible · 26-30, M

How does one move from neonazi to the left? I don't get it.

NorthernRoses · 26-30, F

@Invisible It was a pretty confusing progress that mostly depended on being real lucky with my life experiences and having a phase where I was very fond of checking up statistics for things. Long story short; me and this one Iraqi refugee became close friends by having a guy we hated in common, I found out my absolute favorite uncle is gay, my twin sister started dating a woman, the Iraqi friend I made coincidentally had a documentary made about her when she was younger that I frankly didn't know about, which was pretty heartbreaking once I had already befriended her, etc.

Considering how the change IS pretty dramatic, there's probably more, but those are the only things I can think of.

Invisible · 26-30, M

@NorthernRoses How do you actually define neonazism?

NorthernRoses · 26-30, F

@Invisible I believe that would be the right term, at least? I was in full holocaust denial, thought gay people were all mentally ill offenders or simply just *special snowflake* children, ridiculously nationalistic, wanted all immigrants out of the country because I thought they were dangerous and would water out the Scandinavian blonde hair/blue eyes genes that I felt was an amazing part of our culture, I thought people with disabilities would be better off killed or kept from reproducing, and the Romani people were like rats. I also had a serious Hitler-did-nothing-wrong mindset that I still have points I agree with, but currently only on the grounds of what it means to be good or bad.

Invisible · 26-30, M

@NorthernRoses No anti-Marxism, nothing about central banks being the cause of all economic failure? No anti-degeneracy, anti-democracy?

NorthernRoses · 26-30, F

@Invisible definitely some anti-degeneracy, no anti-Marxism other than it was a... I can't remember the word in English, idea made by the naive with no ties to how reality and society works? Overly idealistic and unrealistic? Something like that. The rest I believe I had no real opinion on.