We can do better...

I've begun to notice and observe the human need to polarize, to pick sides, to be on the 'right' or 'justified' team. Most of the time it's an issue being adamantly debated in the comment section of a YouTube video or news article. And most of the time the only relationship between those commenters and the issue they're fighting over is the information they've gotten about it from the internet or the tv. You have people who have never been to Ukraine or Iraq, or lived though pre-civil rights era, but nevertheless these people are so damn arrogant that they actually think they have sussed out an infinitely complex issue happening on the other side of the world because of a few clicks of the mouse or an opinion heard on tv.

Why do people need so much to be involved and feel like they're contributing? Without this trait humans would be so much better off, and much less susceptible to propaganda and Machiavellian divide and conquer tactics. But by nature I guess we are petty and dim-witted.

My point is, if you haven't already judged me and dismissed what I have to say....is that things really are not as black and white(even racial issues ) as we make them out to be, in fact they are overwhelmingly grey. Usually both sides of a conflict have valid arguments, but neither have the maturity to notice. The more I objectivize, the more I see that both sides have valid points, but are absolutely not willing work together or concede one inch.

We are playing into the hands of the establishment when we behave this way. You are much easier to control if you fall into a category.

I'm always amazed with the things people type on YouTube with their real name. Am I the only one that wonders how these people behave in person?

Taking sides doesn't bother me nearly as much as the intolerance of a person having another opinion. I personally don't have to agree with a person the learn something.

We see it here on ATS as well, people that go right for belittling instead of rational interaction. I grew up in a huge family and I loved the chaos of discussions. The art of discussions is being lost.

a reply to: humanityrising

Thank you for letting me know i'm not the only one noticing this. It's obvious people are more concerned with THEIR beliefs being right, no matter how hollow they are, than actually hunting down the truth and discovering the real world. How can we move past this stage in humanity if this is what we are?

a reply to: Iamthatbish


Me too. I once saw a comment on a news video that said "Haha stupid girl got raped and killed, dumb f***in b*tch deserved it lol"... Not sure why but YouTube seems to be a hub for degenerate scum.

The art of discussions is completely being lost. People were not as antagonistic as our Hannity's and Sharptons are these days. But then again it is literally the news' sole purpose to polarize Americans. They are getting better at it.

a reply to: Ziath

I'm starting to wonder if it's inherently human....

But then again, there's definitely a collective consciousness, hopefully more and more people are realizing this every minute. I think we can evolve past it...I think our ultimate survival depends on it! That and the ability to see propaganda when it's being hurled at you.

If you get a chance, listen to this Rogan intervie w of Cenk Uyger(fast-forward to 48:12 for a quick summary). I'm not Cenk's biggest fan but it's informative, in the first hour or so he explains how neither conservative nor progressive media outlets will tolerate questioning, you'll be fired on the spot. You have to push talking points sent down from above to get on network news, period.

And btw, Alex Jones is no different! (imho)

originally posted by: humanityrising
I've begun to notice and observe the human need to polarize, to pick sides, to be on the 'right' or 'justified' team. Most of the time it's an issue being adamantly debated in the comment section of a YouTube video or news article. And most of the time the only relationship between those commenters and the issue they're fighting over is the information they've gotten about it from the internet or the tv. You have people who have never been to Ukraine or Iraq, or lived though pre-civil rights era, but nevertheless these people are so damn arrogant that they actually think they have sussed out an infinitely complex issue happening on the other side of the world because of a few clicks of the mouse or an opinion heard on tv.

Why do people need so much to be involved and feel like they're contributing? Without this trait humans would be so much better off, and much less susceptible to propaganda and Machiavellian divide and conquer tactics. But by nature I guess we are petty and dim-witted.

My point is, if you haven't already judged me and dismissed what I have to say....is that things really are not as black and white(even racial issues

) as we make them out to be, in fact they are overwhelmingly grey. Usually both sides of a conflict have valid arguments, but neither have the maturity to notice. The more I objectivize, the more I see that both sides have valid points, but are absolutely not willing work together or concede one inch.

We are playing into the hands of the establishment when we behave this way. You are much easier to control if you fall into a category.

Some people do that, pure and simple, but not all.
I agree government have the ability to be amazingly hypocritical and using national television to promote the lie.
Since you mention Ukraine, at this time there is a Euro heavy lift vessel transporting two Russian nuclear subs back to home port for upgrades, at this time a Russian oil company has bought into a Norwegian-British oil company in the Billion£/$ category while all the rants about embargoes and money holding is talked about on the mainstream.
So, taking sides? no way. It's sad though ordinary people are dying in Ukraine and all around the world in different conflicts, so often started by the out-of-towners governments.

a reply to: humanityrising
Great observation, thanks for posting.

I see the same thing. I see a contrast, their is this modern idea of no absolutes, everything is relative, yet at the same time there seems to be this desperate plea for rightness, correcting and judging behavior.

To me this show humanities need for boundaries, in this sea of relativity. Unfortunately the media, the establishment know this all to well, and test the fragile emotions of humans, hoping for a fight, for news. Example, Ferguson MO.

More money can be made with hate. Worse still, hate makes one more vulnerable to controls.

a reply to: Observationalist
a reply to: smurfy


I agree with both of you. Thanks for the input and the christening of my first thread!

a reply to: humanityrising


I think that humans are, at the base, social animals. Part of our innate drives is to be part of a herd, a collective of some sort.

This is not irrational- the fact is that, an individual has higher chances of survival if part of a collective. One of the challenges to the individualist is to overcome their own fear of death, which will lead away from individualism and into "herd mentality". One man against many doesn't win (despite our myths and stories which fancy such a storyline).

When you polarize a question, you push the listener to make a choice. You put pressure on them to "get off the fence" and join a camp. This is part of our social animal drives, which not only pull us to be part of a group, but to constantly seek to re-enforce the strength and numbers of the group, through enlistment of new members.

My personal opinion at this time is that the extreme individualism and independence our culture has tried to nurture and develop has been successful- it drove our social instincts into subconscious drives, that manifest in ways less consciously controlled. The taboo effect is happening.

Instead of people simply admitting they have desire and need to be part of a herd, and taking the time to choose the grouping they shall submit to and be dependant on, they are jumping into whatever ones present themselves, without discernment.

When your body is starving for food, it will jump on just about any food that comes around,
same thing when it is starving for belongingness.....

originally posted by: humanityrising
We are playing into the hands of the establishment when we behave this way. You are much easier to control if you fall into a category.

We are indeed. It is all part of that whole puppet show. Ive seen this game being played out all my life. I've seen my parents enslaved by this system, as it had enslaved my grandparents. Its been hard wired into us at this point.
And it is not easy to share a non bias thought process on this issue.
It is very easy to slant to the left, or slant to the right and see through the POV while here on this Earth.

The roots of it I can understand. People are VAST! And there are lots of them. So we all have different ideas and points of view.
However Capital interests control both the right and left parties. Corporations with private interests are the ones pulling the strings. Those of us who can see it, look at it and wonder how its gotten this far.

As a comic I really do like Joe Rogan. He knows what he is talking about, and a little sugar makes the medicine go down a little easier. When we are being Screwed with no lube at all, people start getting butt hurt.
And that starts waking people up.
Sadly we need to be raped to be awoken.

Thanks for the thread, I thought I would stop in as you showed me some support in my thread, so I stopped by to chime in and toss in my 2 cents.