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Will humanity ever be able to overcome that tribalistic instinct of "us vs. them?" (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 years ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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The way I see it that instinct is the cause behind so much suffering and injustice in the world.

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[–] 25 points 3 years ago (4 children)

Humans are reactionary and emotionally driven. Thats why empty hot button issues are such a trigger for people. We need to learn to ignore those things and work together, but the pessimist in me doesn’t see it happening. Thats a massive shift and based on what I’ve observed in the US, that divide is doing nothing but widening.

All we can do is be aware of it, not get roped into manufactured propaganda, and unionize.

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  • [–] 8 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (3 children)

    empty hot button issues

    Agree for the most part but this here is also part of the issue. What one considers an "empty hot button topic" tends to be based on what directly affects them. I've routinely seen people on both sides use this exact same label to dismiss things like LGBT rights or abortion access. To the individuals that actually suffer, those are not "empty hot button topics".

    Like I very distinctly remember a time when the debate around gay marriage was called a distraction from Iraq. It was a frequent applause line in many, many straight cis comedian's sets. It may have been convenient in that way, but to the LGBT community, it was real oppression and a real fight for equality. It also wasn't some facade that was being put on by the right, they were genuine about it. That fight needed to be fought at the same time as the fight to end the war in Iraq, or the recession, or any of the "bigger" issues of the 2000s.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Hopefully the poster is referring more to topics like Hunter Biden’s laptop that take up a significant amount of time on the most watched cable news channel. Or when Hillary Clinton was investigated eleven times with nothing to show for it simply to keep her in the news.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 years ago

    Yeah, this is what I was referring to. Things that can’t be directly attached to a person’s experiences or well being. I’d never willingly dismiss a person’s struggle or needs. Thanks for summarizing better than I did.

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