Just an SW observation and divides

I became aware this evening by just browsing and, skipping the political rabbit hole posts, that outside of political head banging with names I recognize doing just that, we can actually trually agree on so many posts especially the humourous ones which so many of us need in our day. Even ones which are political but obviously intended homor. This also held true for serious posts about troubles with lifes challenges and requests for advice. I did react positively to a just a few with hope they would recognize but did not comment on any because I was saving my observation for this post.

I'm going to sleep tonight with these thoughts and with the cliche "Why can't we all get along?" And the answer is right in front of everyone of us on both sides. We are just so ingrained in our ways to just choose sides just because we are historically creatures of battle and cannot allow our selves to open our minds to all the things we have in common.

I don't see it changing but know our divides are misplaced as a society.

And in my opinion every confrontation this post receives will just prove my point and believe we should all think about it.

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

Interesting point.

I am not so sure about "creatures of battle" as a reason, but what is behind it..

We are herd animals, and tend to inhabit "our own" herds; but this can lead as easily to tension, rejection or hostility to other herds, as it can lead to understanding, tolerating, even liking them.

Many of the divisions are indeed misplaced, even illogical, but unfortunately can be found useful by one faction or another for its own ends. Where this leads to extremes, even outright war, the bitterness is all too often kept boiling by small factions - those in power - not the herd at large who are their subjects..

Family feuds are similar, and some at least may boil down to just one person having fallen out with another.

I think closed mindedness, the "I am right and everyone else is wrong" attitude, often stems from simple fear of being shown to be mistaken in thought, word or deed. No-one like to be wrong, nor to be shown wrong, but not everyone can cope with it. Yet there is an old saying that "The one who claims never to have made a mistake, has never made anything".

The same attitude may arise in some people when trapped in ideas or dogma that collapse under simple logic, lack of evidence or are just plain wrong. Again no-one likes to be shown wrong, but such people can be become very aggressive, in words at least, when their pet ideas are questioned or challenged. A common tactic used by them is to demand their challengers provide evidence not personally possible, or just calling them fools or liars; while refusing to give any evidence themselves.

...

In the end it all comes down to fallible human nature, and I think 'twas ever thus!

OlderSometimesWiser · F

@ArishMell

I think closed mindedness, the "I am right and everyone else is wrong" attitude, often stems from simple fear of being shown to be mistaken in thought, word or deed. No-one like to be wrong, nor to be shown wrong, but not everyone can cope with it. Yet there is an old saying that "The one who claims never to have made a mistake, has never made anything".

The same attitude may arise in some people when trapped in ideas or dogma that collapse under simple logic, lack of evidence or are just plain wrong. Again no-one likes to be shown wrong, but such people can be become very aggressive, in words at least, when their pet ideas are questioned or challenged. A common tactic used by them is to demand their challengers provide evidence not personally possible, or just calling them fools or liars; while refusing to give any evidence themselves.

I think you’ve nailed what’s so often at the heart of it all.

AndysAttic · 56-60, M

Lets hope things return to a semi normality after the obvious proceedings.

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