The
most annoying thing about pundits and politicians (regardless of
ideology) is how they presume to speak for "everybody".
These
kinds of comments are, of course, fallacies of the "gross
generalization" variety, but they happen with a frequency that
is both alarming – and predictable. They're alarming because you'd
think these people would know better. They're predictable because,
without resorting to a gross generalization fallacy of my own, most
people tend to fall into the same trap that ensnares these
individuals. That trap is what I call environmental complacency.
This
particular trap is based on the herd mentality most people have.
They herd together among like-minded (and looking, sounding,
believing, etc) individuals who share the same values, behaviors,
traditions, customs and language. Most importantly, they often share
the same OPINIONS. This in and of itself isn't unusual. Mankind
did, after all, evolve in tribes and we have an evolutionarily
reinforced impulse to seek out our "tribe". Google calls
them "circles". And I've mentioned this predisposition
before.
But,
this isn't environmental complacency. That's when people begin to
think of the rest of the world as being part of the same "tribe",
when, clearly, it isn't. At least, not insofar as those opinions
go. That's when the gross generalization fallacies start blooming.
Because the people these individuals surround themselves with all
sound, look and think alike, those individual begins to think that
"everyone" else does, too. Opinions are stated outside of
the tribe that aren't well received. Attitudes, behaviors,
traditions, customs and other such stuff that is perfectly
acceptable, even encouraged, in one group may be all but evil to
another. And it's that lack of awareness that one is dealing with
others that are NOT in the tribe which causes the most difficulty.
These
speakers get complacent. They think because everyone they normally
talk to has the same opinion, then it's okay to share that opinion
with others they don't normally talk to. Those people are outside of
the speaker's normal environment. How what's said is interpreted by
those outsiders varies widely depending on the tribe to which the
outsiders are speaking.
For
example, a group of football fans getting together will be pretty
focused on what they have in common and speak in football terms
regardless of what "tribe" they otherwise belong to. But
you get the same group talking about something else, and all of a
sudden, they all belong to different tribes. Democrats and
Republicans, wealthy and poor, Religions galore. They can sit down
together and have a great time talking football, because they all
have that interest. As soon as football goes away, bam, you have
totally different, often diametrically opposed tribes eyeing one
another warily ready to start a war over a difference of a cherished
opinion.
They
forgot they were talking to people outside of their tribe. That's
environmental complacency.
As
for agreement, the point isn't making everyone outside of your tribe
agree with you. The point is being aware that this difference in
tribe exist.
Obviously,
I'm aware of it.
And
that's where WHY one puts stuff out becomes important. Saying
moronic things like racist remarks or speaking as if one expects
others to act in a positive manner isn't even remotely going to be
taken well. The expectation one should be feeling when speaking to
non-tribal members is hostility. As long as that's understood,
great. Often times, though, it isn't understood that hostility to
what one says is expected. Many a pundit and politician has had to
spit his or her foot out after expressing thoughts or ideologies
whose approvals are exclusive to the tribe to which the speaker
belongs.
Most
people don't put out opinions that are intended to do any good. Most
people express opinions because they want to feel better about
themselves or express their rage, hatred, intolerances, etc. Some do
it well. Most don't. And the whys of it are usually quite selfish.
As
for me and my environmental complacency, there are a few things I
will never be able to wrap my head around but they all reduce to one
thing: Irrational thought.
I
just don't get it. I don't get how people can be so self deluded as
to think they have the "only" way to think, act, believe,
etc. It just doesn't compute to me. And most people who are the
most guilty of succumbing to environmental complacency are those who
are the most irrational to begin with. Their environment reinforces their irrationality because everyone around them are equally irrational. Cults, terrorists, extremists, Evangelical Christians - they all pool together and begin to think that their way is the only way and then commit the biggest sin of trying to ensure everyone else becomes members of that tribe whether they want to be or not. (Yes, to me they're all the same thing mentally speaking. They differ only in tactics.)
But you can usually tell who they are. They'll say the most outrageous things (and not in a good way) and be very surprised when most other people react negatively to them. Arguing with them is pointless because their environment (usually) doesn't allow for dissent. Extremism like that causes a closed-tribe mentality. They should be left alone, or killed, depending on the amount of danger to society they exhibit.
My
opinions, I've often stated, are MINE. They belong to no one else simply because I arrived at my opinions in my own way and no one else has taken that exact same path. They share similarities with other people's opinions, but the foundations and nuances often differ. (Most people's opinions are equally unique, assuming they're founded on available facts and not simply parroting other people because the person wants to "fit in".)
I express them freely here, to those who aren't in "my tribe"
mostly because I think they need to be put out there. Not to make
anyone believe them, or to verbally bludgeon anyone into complying
with my environmental expectations. I put them out there as
kindling. Some will gather it up and light a fire of rational
thought in their heads. Others won't. That's fine by me. But one
sin I can't be accused of is environmental complacency. I NEVER
express an opinion expecting anyone to agree with it. I express them
to tell others where I stand and if they agree or disagree, fine.
The former proves one has fallen victim to environmental complacency.
The latter proves they have risen above it.
So
the next time you see shocked faces over an opinion you expressed,
and you didn't think it would happen because of what you said, at
least you now know what social sin you've committed.
