One of the things I've learned from being a part of Braver Angels about many conservatives is that they see right through the deployment of tools like empathy & "help me to understand" type language as being basically just softer ways of trying to show how wrong they are and to change their minds. The implicit idea being that the conserv…
One of the things I've learned from being a part of Braver Angels about many conservatives is that they see right through the deployment of tools like empathy & "help me to understand" type language as being basically just softer ways of trying to show how wrong they are and to change their minds. The implicit idea being that the conservative outlook is toxic and if only conservatives are listened to with empathy, then they will change for the supposed better. When what many conservatives actually want is to be genuinely heard and genuinely debated with, rather than "listened to" and therefore condescended to.
I see a little of that, but very little. Yes there are some rural conservatives who believe, accurately, that urban elites are indeed looking down at them. And frankly there is a lot to look down on, but that's an aside; they do have legitimate grievances at not being taken seriously.
But far more common among conservatives is the attitude that they should get everything they want, and with no delays, That their every position should immediately be realized as the law of the land and that any disagreement excuses violence. And they don't understand that so many of their positions are preposterous and intolerant.
True, but I find many on the left who believe the same. Which is why I'm becoming disaffected with the Democrats. Too much nazi-like rock-solid belief in one's own convictions with zero critical analysis. And as for violence, I was wondering this morning whether new lynch mobs might emerge not on the right, but within LGBTQ and esp trans since it's crystal-clear it's okay to threaten women with violence and fantasize about ways to kill them online, and whether eventually that normalizing language will turn into violence. The left is *always* willing to throw women under the bus and although it fancies itself the less violent wing, I always think, 'Yeah, uh, for *now*'.
One of the things I've learned from being a part of Braver Angels about many conservatives is that they see right through the deployment of tools like empathy & "help me to understand" type language as being basically just softer ways of trying to show how wrong they are and to change their minds. The implicit idea being that the conservative outlook is toxic and if only conservatives are listened to with empathy, then they will change for the supposed better. When what many conservatives actually want is to be genuinely heard and genuinely debated with, rather than "listened to" and therefore condescended to.
I see a little of that, but very little. Yes there are some rural conservatives who believe, accurately, that urban elites are indeed looking down at them. And frankly there is a lot to look down on, but that's an aside; they do have legitimate grievances at not being taken seriously.
But far more common among conservatives is the attitude that they should get everything they want, and with no delays, That their every position should immediately be realized as the law of the land and that any disagreement excuses violence. And they don't understand that so many of their positions are preposterous and intolerant.
Which is why people look down at them.
True, but I find many on the left who believe the same. Which is why I'm becoming disaffected with the Democrats. Too much nazi-like rock-solid belief in one's own convictions with zero critical analysis. And as for violence, I was wondering this morning whether new lynch mobs might emerge not on the right, but within LGBTQ and esp trans since it's crystal-clear it's okay to threaten women with violence and fantasize about ways to kill them online, and whether eventually that normalizing language will turn into violence. The left is *always* willing to throw women under the bus and although it fancies itself the less violent wing, I always think, 'Yeah, uh, for *now*'.