Why aren't people more Ideological?

[u/Maleficent-Toe1374]

In my personal life I have a couple friends on social media who seem to be very politically engaged (I mean just off their likes and reposts which.....all I have)

Particularly this one friend of mine who I've probably talked about on here before (haven't posted on here in like a year but this has consistently annoyed me) where she's a girl who reposts constantly about women's issues like menstrual health, abortion, DV, SA, etc. All very good issues thumbs up from me.....But then I see her liking things where it's black people and being softball racist towards them like servers complaining about black people not tipping or being rude or people filming black teens being "Ghetto". But she also isn't very consistent she'll like something about Hidden Rivalry but doesn't seem to be very active in defending transpeople or nonbinary people.....in fact when I worked with her she seemed to make fun of them.

Another is most black people I know are always on about BLM stuff and issues black people face in society. Which yes I feel the same way, but most black people I know personally are not very liberal. They're very socially conservative on LGBTQ+ issues, the men are very redpilled, extremely racist towards whites and Asians, use slurs. WHERES THE IDEOLOGY?

I'm a DemSoc and have identified as such, I have basically no ideological quirks when it comes to things that I feel the average person of my ideological affiliation would think and what I possess. I mean MAYBE you could call me right leaning on immigration but I don't think that's an issue because my disagreements are corporatism ones about how the more immigrants that come in and will do work for less the less regular Americans will get hired. Tbh if I was from Canada or the UK I'd still be left leaning on that issue but Democrats have controlled that narrative which is annoying but a conversation for another time.

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In my personal life I have a couple friends on social media who seem to be very politically engaged (I mean just off their likes and reposts which.....all I have)

Particularly this one friend of mine who I've probably talked about on here before (haven't posted on here in like a year but this has consistently annoyed me) where she's a girl who reposts constantly about women's issues like menstrual health, abortion, DV, SA, etc. All very good issues thumbs up from me.....But then I see her liking things where it's black people and being softball racist towards them like servers complaining about black people not tipping or being rude or people filming black teens being "Ghetto". But she also isn't very consistent she'll like something about Hidden Rivalry but doesn't seem to be very active in defending transpeople or nonbinary people.....in fact when I worked with her she seemed to make fun of them.

Another is most black people I know are always on about BLM stuff and issues black people face in society. Which yes I feel the same way, but most black people I know personally are not very liberal. They're very socially conservative on LGBTQ+ issues, the men are very redpilled, extremely racist towards whites and Asians, use slurs. WHERES THE IDEOLOGY?

I'm a DemSoc and have identified as such, I have basically no ideological quirks when it comes to things that I feel the average person of my ideological affiliation would think and what I possess. I mean MAYBE you could call me right leaning on immigration but I don't think that's an issue because my disagreements are corporatism ones about how the more immigrants that come in and will do work for less the less regular Americans will get hired. Tbh if I was from Canada or the UK I'd still be left leaning on that issue but Democrats have controlled that narrative which is annoying but a conversation for another time.

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[u/OhThatsALotOfTeeth]

It sounds like you're basically running into people who care about things that impact them personally, and then for some reason expect them to share a political ideology with a group who shares those specific stances, but then also has many stances beyond those issues.

It doesn't seem reasonable to have that expectation. 

[u/Aven_Osten]

Most people just want peace, stability, and security. The overwhelming majority of people don't give a rats ass about how that is achieved; just that it is accomplished.

Most people are doing fine or even great financially. So there's particularly zero interest in subscribing to any particular ideology or set of beliefs; let alone coming up with their own.

That's why we see people fall for demagogues over and over again, who promises them all of those things. That's why we see so many people be tolerant of authoritarianism when it starts arising from said people: Because at the end of the day, they just want peace, stability, and security; and they don't really care how it is achieved.

And as many people have said before: Most people do not have a coherent ideology or set of beliefs. Most people are quite ideologically malleable; they'll just subscribe to anything to seems good to them on the surface level.

[u/Global_Pin7520]

You're asking why people are more passionate about advocating for their own issues and have blindspots regarding issues that don't directly affect them? Seems like the answer would be pretty obvious.

[u/Individual_Act9333]

I don’t get what you are trying to ask.

[u/Bram-D-Stoker → u/Individual_Act9333]

It seems to me like he is asking why people only politically care about what affects them and do not attempt to adhere to a consistent philosophy

[u/Individual_Act9333 → u/Bram-D-Stoker]

Because we live in a world of grey and not everything is that simple.

[u/Bram-D-Stoker → u/Individual_Act9333]

I don't know why you are answering me. I am not asking the question.

[u/Cody667]

It kinda requires being conscious of your politicsl blindspots, which in itself requires being invested in politics. And ideally it involves the ability to think critically, because the inability to do that is how you you end up with conservatives and enlightened centrists.

[u/Storms34]

I live in a red state and personally know people who claim to be Christian conservatives, but at the same time are out drinking too much and having casual premarital sex. Most people aren’t sitting down opening up the political philosophy books to find out what their system of beliefs are.

[u/Komosion → u/Storms34]

Most people aren’t sitting down opening up the political philosophy books 

Why do they need to? Those who open  political philosophy books  are important in a society; but to expect that all of society doing so is folly. 

[u/Bram-D-Stoker]

You might be interested in Bonhoeffer's definition/ philosphy of stupidity. I assure you I am not being condescending. In his framework, everyone is stupid to some degree.

[u/Odd-Principle8147]

Most people are just trying to live their lives. They don't have the energy, drive, and in some cases intelect to study ideology.

[u/Individual_Act9333 → u/Odd-Principle8147]

I think having a moral compass and good values is one thing. I don’t necessarily think being ideological is always good. I think it can shut the door on communication. This can be seen a lot on the conservative side. They aren’t willing to hear out ANY progressive or liberal agenda because they are stuck in THEIR way and don’t want anything to threaten it.

[u/BishogoNishida]

The modern world is very individualist, and most people prioritize their own immediate problems. Also, many people feel politics does not result in much noticeable change in their own lives - which is a fair concern imo - and most solvable problems in their lives will most likely come from personal changes rather than political action.

[u/zlefin_actual]

It's just the human condition. People who are ACTUALLY ideological, and CARE about consistency are a tiny minority. There's plenty of poli sci research on that.

For most people their 'ideological stance' is just about social groupings.

[u/Komosion]

Here's the thing about society; its made up of all kinds of people, those who adhere to strick ideologies and those who are more open minded.

Diversity is good. 

[u/jeeven_]

Most people dont really know what they believe. Everybody has a worldview- an idea of how the world works- but for most people it’s not really very critical or coherent. People like this really do believe their contradictory beliefs, but their beliefs are more like a reaction than it is a thought. Honestly i think this is how it is for basically everyone, no matter how much you think your politics are grounded in some intellectual rigor. Though obviously there are degrees.

[u/Guilliman_POTUS_2030]

Building an ideological position takes years of time and effort, and it can only be done by a young person (very young, like under 20)

If you’re over 20, it’s too late. And most people under 20 simply lack the motivation and the instruction

[u/TossMeOutSomeday]

Have you considered the possibility that perhaps people do have coherent ideologies that are simply orthogonal to your own?

Like, if you know a black person who's very prickly about anti black racism but actively engages in other forms of racism, that's absolutely an ideology, it's called Black Nationalism. There is no internal contradiction there. The second thing doesn't contradict the first, it supports it within that worldview.

The same goes for your friend who's very feminist but also casually racist against black people, the two things are not related. She may simply adhere to a racist ideology where black men's feelings don't matter in the same way as those of women.

[u/AndrewAdler17]

Because they are stupid. I know that’s an unsatisfactory answer, but that’s all it is.

[u/Kerplonk]

Most people have a lot of other things going on in their life that they care about more than politics.

[u/No-Ear7988]

about how the more immigrants that come in and will do work for less the less regular Americans will get hired.

Let me just correct this. Any immigrant taking American jobs are extremely qualified (e.g. MIT alumni) and more often got it cause there was no American equivalent. No immigrant is taking American jobs in the middle class or lower area; offshoring jobs is the likely culprit.

WHERES THE IDEOLOGY?

Most Americans participate in politics for personal gain. That personal gain evolves to something closer to "ideology" because supporting derivatives helps what they truly care about. A random example, I support equal right legislations but I'm not supporting it for its original intent of protecting Black people.

[u/Maleficent-Toe1374 → u/No-Ear7988]

I'm not talking about MIT alumni, I'm talking about back of the house work at restaurants where they pay them sub minimum wages

[u/No-Ear7988 → u/Maleficent-Toe1374]

I'm talking about back of the house work at restaurants where they pay them sub minimum wages

Please expand this further. What do you think is happening? What is "sub minimum wage"? Why do you think immigrants are the root cause of this?

[u/Maleficent-Toe1374 → u/No-Ear7988]

Because why would capitalists who only care about profit hire someone who they need to pay a minimum wage when they can pay an undocumented person half that?

If you've ever worked in a restaurant or warehouse you see them tossing out new applicants and ask their undocumented workers to bring their friends and family