The Fundamental Split Between Right Leaning Individuals and Left Leaning Individuals
Between liberal and conservative
Why there is a split What this means in our world today, in our current political landscape
Many of our societies, and in particular the United States is being torn apart by a fundamental difference in political orientation and ideology.
People don’t rationally choose their political ideology. They have a basic psychological orientation and then are drawn to an ideology that resonates with that. (Haidt, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion) “Haidt demonstrates that people's beliefs are driven primarily by intuition, with reason operating mostly to justify beliefs that are intuitively obvious”
It is rare for people to fundamentally change their political ideology. Perhaps their views may evolve as they better come to understand themselves and especially as they gain more experience and understanding of the political philosophy and the world around them. But for a vast majority of people, they have a certain perception of the world and that does not fundamentally change.
Unfortunately, most people are immediately drawn to a certain side of the political spectrum and are incapable (not to mention unwilling) of attempting to see and understand those on the other side. They fall victim to a very prevalent human indoctrinated trait - binary black and white thinking. Where “my side” is right, and those stupid evil people on the other side are wrong.
Essentially, it is that:
Lefties are feeling-based, idealistic, more feminine(compassionate & sensitive), collectivist and want a large and comprehensive government to help people and make society better.
Righties are rationally-based, practical, more masculine(rational & competitive), individualist and want a limited government that protects fundamental rights and cultural/religious values.
Anarchists & Libertarians usually lean to one side of the “lefty” or “righty” spectrum and generally share much of the fundamental values and perceptions of their innate “side”, but are united in wanting very little to absolutely no government. (This would be the far liberty end of the authoritarian-libertarian axis.)
(Many right-anarchists say left-anarchists are not “real anarchists” and vice versa. But that is another topic.)
Fundamental Right Leaning Beliefs/Perceptions & Orientations
- Individualist
- Practical - see the world as it is and don’t necessarily feel a strong need to fundamentally change it
- Do not feel a strong obligation to fundamentally change the world and advocate and be an activist for social, environmental causes.
- More rational, make decisions based on what they believe based on reason
- Essentially more masculine in approach
- More traditionalist
- Do not necessarily feel a strong desire and obligation to help people or humanity as a whole- more focused on their own flourishing and that of their close friends, family, and community.
- Want small government to no government. Want to be more left alone.
- More likely to have some sort of religious faith
- Care about order
- More skeptical of new things and wanting tradition,
- Don’t believe equality or not having hierarchy is possible
- Are not interested in fundamentally rearranging society around the minority who are disabled, mentally ill, marginalized and unusual(LGBTQ+….)
- Generally strive to see people as they are, more pessimistic, more measured and cautious.
- See family as very important
- Have neutral to positive view of money, wealth, power, privilege.
- More skeptical of “The Science”. (Recent phenomenon?)
- Either are relatively indifferent to environmental topics, or care about the environment and feel take a more measured rational approach to solving problems related to it
- Want individual liberty and to be treated as an adult. Want to work hard and earn things.
- Believe that Government should stay out of the corporate sphere and allow the free market and individual’s choices
- Tend to live in countryside, rural, smaller town areas.
Fundamental Left Leaning Beliefs/Perceptions & Orientations
- Collectivist - want to be a part of the group and feel part of something bigger
- Idealist - feel that the world should be better than it is
- Sense of injustice and idealism - that our world is unfair, unequal, and in danger and they feel an obligation to be active to change it
- More feeling and emotional, have an initial feeling about things and then rationalize it
- Essentially more feminine in approach
- More looking ahead, “progressive”
- “Care about people” - feel a strong desire and obligation to help people
- Want government to help people, take action to make things better, redistribute wealth, have programs, etc.
- More atheistic (or government and social justice becomes their religion)
- More extravagant, comfortable with some chaos
- More open to new experiences and new things
- Want equality and no heirarchy
- Feel very strongly about helping and being compassionate to the disabled, mentally ill, marginalized and unusual(LGBTQ+….). To the point of rearranging society around them.
- Generally want to see the best in people, more optimistic, more hopeful and idealistic
- Don’t see family as as important - more emphasis on friends and shared community.
- Have negative view of money, wealth, power, privilege.
- “Believe in Science”. See themselves as intellectual and educated.
- Care about “the environment” as a concept and feel a strong duty to advocate for saving it. Advocate for more radical solutions
- Want Mommy/Daddy government to provide things for them. Think they are obligated food, shelter, healthcare as well as other luxuries. Do not see people as responsible for themselves and the choices they make in their life.
- Believe we need government to regulate corporate power.
Why We Are So Split
Perhaps the splitting of humanity into polarized Left vs. Right is a consequence of the split within us of the Right and Left brain. The fact that some people are more artistic, creative, and think non-linearly while others are more logical and scientific and think in straight lines. In some cases, someone may be so left brained that they are not able to communicate and get along with someone who is strongly right brained. Their basic orientations and perceptions are so vastly different that they may each see the other one as incomprehensible and very uncomfortable to be around.
Each Side Has Positives & Negatives
There are benefits and drawbacks to both the Leftist and Rightist sides. And the strengths of one are also their very same weakness
As an example: Lefties may be too collectivist and don’t value individual freedom enough. They may therefore overstep the bounds while trying to create positive changes in society and create unintended consequences while imposing their values on others who want to be left alone to live their own way. Righties may be too individualistic and don’t care about others enough. They may neglect to help others who are less fortunate while enriching themselves and not work together with the society to create a better outcome for all.
Synthesizing
Ideally, one would not strongly align with either “side”, they would synthesize the two and exist beyond this false-binary spectrum. One need not take an all-or-nothing approach. One can value individual liberty while also doing one’s part to help others.
The Left is concerned about the abuse of power by big corporations The Right is concerned about the abuse of power by big government. The Libertarian/Anarchist correctly recognizes that the big corporations and the big government are the same entity. That we truly live in a fascist system. (The merging of state and corporate power)
(Meme about big corporations running the big government)
Authoritarian & Libertarian Axis
Much more important than wether one is individualist or collectivist is whether you are authoritarian or libertarian.
In a libertarian society, the individualists can do their own thing and the collectivists can group together and do what they want.
Traits that are more of a recent phenomenon??
We must differentiate between what are the innate differences between a leftist and rightest view, and those which are more a modern phenomenon due to various changes in …….
In recent years there has been a noticeable flip on many different subjects. The liberal hippies of the 60’s would nowadays be considered far-right extremists for the very same views. Such as being anti-war, anti-big Pharma and coercive pharmaceuticals(vaccines), being against censorship,….
(Picture of Volkswagen with bumper stickers meme)
Many are now noticing that leftists used to be against “The Man”, very critical and opposed to the power and authority of “the system”.
Rage Against The Machine has now become Rage On Behalf of The Machine “Fuck you, do what they tell you!”
Donald Trump Used To Divert All Leftist Energy on Behalf of The Machine?
Leftists trust and believe in the mainstream institutions and authorities Because this institutions are largely left dominated and putting forth a leftist ideology An increasing utter domination of Leftists in The Cathedral (Picture stats of big tech companies, college professors, and corporate media and the number of liberal/democrats in them)
Due to the rise of Donald Trump on the populist Right, all leftist/liberal energy and attention has been funneled into opposing Trump.
They have been told that Trump is the source and representation of everything they hate - so they have been totally mobilized into being in “resistance” to him.
Therefore they support and cheer on all institutions that are arrayed against Trump
- Corporate Media
- Political establishment (both Left and Right)
- Academia
- Big Tech
- Intelligence Agencies
- Hollywood
- Military industrial complex
They now see everything based on what the US Empire tells them to believe. EX: The Ukraine War Lefties used to be more anti-war. But because the enemy of this war is Putin/Russia and Ukraine has been promoted as a heroic victim - liberals are very strongly supportive of the US participating in this war. They see it as the only right thing to do.
- Leftists trust and believe the corporate media
- Leftists trust and believe Big Pharma
- Leftists trust and believe “The Science”
- Leftists support the intelligence agencies
- Leftists own Big Tech
The Right Wing Is Now The CounterCulture
As a result, it is the right wing that is now the subversive part of our society.
The corporations, US government are all very vocal in the fact that they are supporting left wing values - LGBTQ, etc. (or at least they are PRETENDING to support these things to gain points with leftists)
(Johnny rotten saying that right-wingers are the new counterculture)
How much of our internet culture comes from 4chan, 8chan - these Wild West censorship free membership boards
“Any unmoderated forum will become right wing” Why? Moderation favors the 'dominant ideology' Because Leftism is all about governance - rightism is more anarchic
How They View Government
Lefties view government as the most important force for good. They want to use government to permeate every aspect of society and make it more fair and prosperous.
They want many programs. They want to redistribute wealth to make things fair and make sure everyone has a good living. They believe in taking action through government to implement the policies and programs they believe in.
Righties view government with skepticism. They want government to exist to protect and preserve more basic rights and fundamentals to society, and otherwise leave individuals, families, and communities to themselves to do as they wish. They want less taxes They believe in individuals working hard and earning things themselves.
How the Fundamental Differences in Energies Interact To Create our Political/Cultural Landscape
Lefties are always organizing and being enthused about taking action to move the ball of “progress” forward. They work together in groups, they create activist organizations. Leftism is essentially a youthful, idealistic ideology - so they have much more youthful enthusiasm and energy. They take action.
Righties are just trying to slow the movement down. They try to keep the status quo. They are largely ineffectual and impotant.
Lefties dominant the media, academia, Hollywood, and Big Tech. So Leftist ideology is the default cultural narrative.
Those who are more “centrist” default to being Leftist because they get their news from CNN, New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, etc.
The ball slowly and steadily moves forward, and what was considered radically progressive 10 or 20 years ago, is now accepted as normal.
For instance, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, etc. were all against gay marriage only 10 years ago(about?).
“Conservatism is progressivism driving the speed limit”
- Michael Malice
“A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.”
- William F. Buckley
How Lefties View Righties
That they don’t care about other people and only care about themselves.
How Righties View Lefties
The Big 5 personality traits
- openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious)
- conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. extravagant/careless)
- extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved)
- agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. critical/rational)
- neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. resilient/confident) Lefties are more open, extravagant, extraverted, agreeable, and neurotic Righties are more cautious, conscientious, introverted, critical/rational, and less neurotic.
Those who don’t fit into the Left/Right Binary
Anarchists and Libertarians
Leftists want more government Rightists want less government Anarchists and Libertarians want very little to NO government at all.
There are leftist anarchists and rightist anarchists.
Synthesizing the two main forces in society - progressive and conservative
Synthesizing the two main forces in society - progressive and conservative Past and future Masculine and feminine Logic and emotion Individual and collective
Conservative types are trying to look and go back to a past that can no longer exist. Humanity and the world has changed and is changing too quickly. And you can’t stop this rapid transformation.
Liberals, progressives reject the past and tradition and are trying to go forward to a brave new world But in rejecting and rebelling against the past, they lose all groundedness, all wisdom, all sense of history, identity They don’t believe in God, in a divine objective truth - and so they believe in anything, they exist in their own secular cult like religion. They have no solid principles grounded in reason, they have only their feelings and beliefs that are rooted in absolutely nothing.
What we need is the rediscovery and reawakening of ancient perennial wisdom, our mythic spiritual heritage
We need an understanding of the situation - that the old world and old consciousness is crumbling and dying. That a new consciousness and new world is being born.
But this death and rebirth process is challenging. And people are making it more and more chaotic and fiery through participating in division, hatred, judgement,....
Our institutions and systems are all going a massive restructuring, as more and more humans beings are realizing that the structures of our world have existed of, by, and for the “elite” ruling class and not for all humans. Truths can no longer be hidden and suppressed Dark one’s can no longer hide who they are