The Psychology of Political Radicalism Pt1

Some of you may know that for the last few months I have been immersing myself in the radical political areas of social media. 

I am trying to get to grip with the psychology of the closed-minded politically ideological bigots; and believe me they come from all classes, educational and intelligence levels of life. 

Indeed, many of the worst are toward the top end of society in class &/or wealth &/or academic terms.

Here’s some preliminary thoughts with regard those on the ‘radical Left’. They are, after all, by far the noisiest and most culturally influential at the moment.

Today's radical culture warriors see themselves as ‘righteous opponents of oppression’.

They are deluded.

Their relentless politicisation of even the most ordinary aspects of everyday life divides and angers more people than it impresses and actively impedes the chances of societal harmony.

There’s an ‘algorithm of status’ on the progressive Left. 

Simply put, the more radical your views and demands, irrespective of the wisdom or the consequences, the higher your status rises.

This is why the demands will never end. 

It’s who they are. 

They would have no purpose, their life would have no meaning if they weren’t spending their time pointing the accusing finger of bigotry at people, thinking about and activating to tear down our society.

Their personal status within the ‘tribe’, their internal feelings of self-worth are so bound up in radicalism that to say, ‘ok, that’s enough now’, would, psychologically, be a form of bereavement if not suicide.

This is why, when everyone else sees anarchic nonsense & intimidation akin to the smothering totalitarianism of Stalin, Hitler & Mao, all radicals and their allies do is double-down and scream even louder.

In addiiton, there are issues around 'bitterness' 'resentment' and 'guilt' that I will explore in a future blog.