By Randy Moore – My older brother and I are disturbed by different issues. His list includes abortion, the threat of police departments being defunded, and homosexuality. My list includes dark money in politics, systemic racism, and voter suppression. Two decent men in the same family seeing the world through their own biases.
Reflecting on our differences led me to define a mental condition I’m calling Selective Outrage Syndrome (SOS). A person with SOS believes their biases are warranted and people that disagree are incorrect and possibly dangerous. People with SOS seek out and support other people that share their biases. Many disparage anyone that has a contrarian point of view. You see SOS on full display with partisan politics. Another example are religious zealots presuming God is on their side. Over the millennia, millions of innocent people have been murdered because of this delusion.
Human biases coalesce around two sets of rival belief systems based on conservative and liberal sensibilities. Politicians reinforce the divide with continuous self-serving arguments with a major assist from biased media sources reinforcing the hyperbole. Can we transcend the sanctity of our biases or is our nation’s extreme polarization unbreakable?
Social Scientists have been studying biases for many years, but don’t hold your breath waiting for their insights to be widely reported on Fox News or MSNBC. Ditto with politicians setting aside their marching orders from cynical party to advocate bipartisanship. That’s a quick way to be dismissed from the lucrative swamp in D.C. and our various state capitals.
Author Dannagal Young notes that our biases reflect core psychological traits. Conservatives tend to focus on managing threats and achieving order. Liberals are less concerned with threats and are more comfortable with ambiguity and nuance. The central issue for Dr. Young is how political and media elites exploit these differences for their own gain. The major payoff for weaponizing our different traits includes donations for politicians and support of specific policies.
The more enlightened response is to recognize that both sets of beliefs have value in our efforts to survive and thrive. It also means understanding most conservatives don’t hate immigrants and most liberals are not conniving to take your guns or Christmas tree.
So, what’s the treatment for SOS? Being open to new ideas can help along with spending more time listening to other people with other viewpoints and experiences. Our common ground is far more meaningful than our differences including those issues we deem outrageous. Perhaps the greater challenge is finding more adults to run for elected positions that respect other people instead of using them as pawns in their selfish game of thrones.
