The Prison of Ideology

Political ideologies can make you stupid. I am not here to target the right or the left of the political spectrum. I am speaking as someone who has been on both sides of the seesaw. The fight is never really about the truth, and I think both sides are willing to acknowledge at least that much. The whole point of an ideological battle is groupthink. You believe in certain things, so you gradually start believing in things that are somewhat connected to your original beliefs. You find people who agree with you, which makes you even more confident. Those people believe in things you have no idea about, but you believe in them anyway, thinking that because they are part of your group, they must be right. Instead of owning opinions based on the knowledge you have acquired, your opinions begin to form your identity based on the company you keep. Ideologically driven identities are often born out of the people you listen to. These days, those people are in abundance, and through social…