“I tried to reason. But facts and logic just bounce off them, like footballs off of a wall”. That’s been a common complaint in recent year, as political discourse has descended into a series of angry shouting matches, with few even listening to, let along reasoning with, the arguments on the other side. It wasn’t supposed to have been like this. Ever since the Enlightenment, the presumption was that people would act in their own self-interest. And that interest would be largely economic. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Gropingly, provisionally, a new way in which we might try to understand peoples’ political choices and affiliations is starting to emerge. And that it might be based on trying to understand their deep and persistent emotional states- grief, hope, resentment, even the security of their gender identities, may all be part . Latest to have a go is Derek Thompson for the Atlantic [1](warning- you may have to go over a paywall on this one) Derek bases much of his analysis on the well-received Strangers in Their Own Land by Arlie Russell Hochschild (2016)[2] It was an attempt to look at the psychologies of many Tea party voters, who went on of course to man the Trump movement en masse. But they stand as proxies to angry populist movements the world over now.
What we liked about Derek’s article was its questing, unassuming style. There is no careful logical structure of propositions leading to some triumphant conclusion. The author picks at facts and concepts, trying to shape them. Trying hard to find the words that make the best sense. As anyone does in a new field. One day perhaps, some genius will come along with a new paradigm, explain why we act as we do, and we can all go comfortably back to sleep. Until that day, we are stuck with one another, bewildered, afraid and angry. Which is why Strangers in their Own Land is a very, very good title indeed.
Thanks to P. Seymour
[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/deep-story-trumpism/617498/?utm_source=apple_news Hochschild
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_in_Their_Own_Land
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