No. of Recommendations: 12
I watched part 1 all the way through (at 1.5x speed).
I agree with the gist of what he said but in the interest of tying it too directly to the present problem, I think he encased many of the concepts too deeply in our current vocabulary. This might tend to turn off people who might be on the "fence" of certainty about their beliefs in current autocratic trends versus having a critical mass of ambivalence that might let them think their way away from the danger zone.
More generally...
His point is that humans devote a significant portion of their mental energy every day worried about being caught too far away from the collective safety of the crowd. Any communication that makes us feel excluded creates a feeling of threat which we then devote even more energy to subdue. One way to do this is to engage in behaviors or communication that makes us feel part of a larger group. Another way is to attempt to find confirmation that we are not only part of a group, but exhibit traits that provide us an elevated position in that group. Most people want to feel part of a group but few are comfortable feeling like they're at the BOTTOM of that group. Being at the bottom is a vulnerable position.
In his description, people in current politics who seem to have fallen into the MAGA sphere are doing so because its vocabulary and communication tactics assign any positive attribute adherents wish to believe to themselves while attaching any negative attributes against anyone who might criticize them. This is dangerous because people internalize labels and ideas they think are "good" and by internalizing them, those labels and ideas cease being subjected to logical criticism, even in the face of changing information. Any labels and ideas they think are "bad" are externalized and attached to those they fear. That externalization similarly prevents them from ever re-evaluating those labels and ideas in the face of changing information.
Psychologically, this tactic is the equivalent of crack cocaine because it feeds a "high" resulting from believing the best about yourself and cuts off any alternative inputs that might provide a more balanced view. If you think about it, this suggests why most such movements end in cycles of fanaticism that demand ever-higher levels of "purity" of adherence to the original principal... We've seen this play out in politics for nearly one hundred years. "Free markets..." Deregulation. Tax cuts to boost the economy. If applying the formula doesn't work, you didn't apply it enough. Add more.
This dynamic stemming from fear of ostracization is literally a function of our DNA, unique language capabilities of our brain and the unique human ability to understand the passage of time and the existence of death. This combination motivates humans to focus much more effort on how we communicate to manipulate those around us for our selfish benefit. Over millions of years, it has provided an ability to create and follow plans over an extended period of time -- not just minutes or hours like animals hunting in packs but days, weeks, months, years.
Over time, as public figures gain traction using these strategies, it isn't always the case that those gaining power consciously and intellectually understand this dynamic and constantly adjust their communication strategy to introduce the dynamic and encourage it. They can't explain WHAT they are doing scientifically or explain WHY it works on the crowd, it just does, they THINK they have figured out how to benefit from it, so they continue leveraging it. The foundation for this dynamic to take root is ALWAYS present. There are ALWAYS individuals out there lacking other faculties for describing current problems and proposing solutions actually capable of solving problems. When those individuals begin communicating out of fear and frustration, they tap into this tendency and the dynamic will again spiral up from its normal background state.
In any given cycle in history, the heights to which this always-present tendancy will grow is dependent upon the education level of the general population and the extent of economic strife and injustice present. Attempt to use thse strategies when your econmy has 4% unemployment, parents can afford college, kids attend school without a thought of a mass shooting and the CEO/peon wage multiple averages only 30-50x is like planting grass on your driveway. Nothing takes root.
Over the past forty years, America has done a horrible job educating its citizens about the core functional desgn of our government and its checks and balances. By convincing Americans that government is inept and corrupt while continuing to corrupt our political processes with corporate money, our government has become subservient to billionaires and billion-dollar corporations who have lobbied for laws which have produced extreme wealth inequity that has prevented the government from properly funding education, health services and social, civil and environmental protections to combat the widening wealth inequity.
In all examples in history, this cycle of political psychosis has NEVER actually cured any problem(s) it claimed to address. Instead, this cycle only makes the problem(s) worse by deferring recognition and work on the underlying problem(s). Inevitably, what "cures" the problem is one of two things, neither good:
1) A calamity arising from the paralysis preventing meaningful action that essentially destroys the power structures of government that became paralyzed by the fear cycle, resulting in a Ctrl-Alt-Del that allows different solutions to be pursued. Of course, that reboot may upend many other aspects of government and society in ways that are impossible to predict and not always pleasant.
2) A calamity that strikes those most trapped in the fear loop and provides them a "teachable moment" that upends their economic and social situation so completely they are forced to recognize reality and replace time and energy spent lying to themselves within their doom loop with actual work required for basic survival.
Of course the real tragedy with either of those outcomes is that they are not limited in their impact to those whose thinking led to the calamity. The calamity effects everyone.
If people aren't willing to watch a series of YouTube videos on abstract psychological concepts, maybe they could read some Rush lyrics that spell out the dynamic more concisely than most psychological, social or economic textbooks ever could.
https://www.rush.com/songs/a-farewell-to-kings/WTH
