Why I Reject Political Debate On My Facebook Page

Once upon a time I was a Right-Leaning Centrist, prone to believing any conspiracy theory that cast the government as evil, and acting to limit or outright destroy the freedom of all people. Any like-minded people I saw as enlightened, and felt that we were all in on some secret knowledge to which society at large was blind. Any perceived problem with the world for which the solution was violent unleashing of rage, a tearing down of all that went before, occupied most of my thinking. And the visions of the destruction made me feel powerful.

 

Then I got sober. 

 

In staying sober I came to understand that my most libertarian/conservative views were based on fear, and were oversimplifications of reality. The longer I remained sober the more complex thoughts I was unable to think. 

 

I worked on understanding why I’d always felt/thought certain ways, and learned that fear had ruled much of my life. The easiest way to not be afraid was to be angry. Being angry was the first tool that worked to stop the world from preying on me as a child.

 

But anger doesn’t grow up. Anger makes all problems look simple, and despises nuance and subtlety. 

 

I realized that the origin of my angriest political beliefs came from a hatred of Political Correctness, that began as a childish resentment of being told what to do. This had metastasized into a belief that anything liberal was evil. 

 

I needed to understand more, thus had to think, not feel in order to do that. 

 

I was shocked to realize that my personal standards of fairness were violated by the principles that I thought I believed in, and that libertarianism actually lets bullies dominate everyone else, and blames victims for their plight. 

 

I began researching, and learning. 

 

One of the most important things I learned was that people with my former beliefs were more prone to confirmation bias, meaning that information contradicting their views, no matter how reliable, was seen as false or fake, and any information confirming their views was quickly believed. They also accepted as validating facts another person’s similar opinion. 

 

When shown that the facts were against them these people with whom I used to agree would attack me personally. They had no interest in being right, only in not seeing themselves as wrong. 

 

Rather than engage in return fire, I gave up trying to debate. Now I reject political debate on my page. If your opinion differs, keep it to yourself; in all likelihood I once agreed with you, and learned differently through long, dedicated work. And, having done that work, I reject the right of anyone to tell me that they know better.

 

Political positions demonstrated to me to be bullshit by logic, reason, and research (If you believe any of the following 1) you are wrong 2) I never want to see your opinion on such matters expressed on my page.) :

 

Obama is a Muslim/Socialist/Dangerous Madman/Kenyan.

Climate change is a hoax.

 

Libertarianism is about freedom for everyone.

 

The Second Amendment protects us from tyranny. 

 

Liberals are coming for your guns.

 

The Founders created the USA as a Christian nation. 

 

Whites/Conservatives/Christians are persecuted/unfairly treated.

 

Socialism=Stalinism and any degree of it always leads to tyranny.

 

Racist treatment of whites by minorities is just as damaging to society as racist treatment of minorities by whites. 

 

The media has a liberal bias.