Why do people find it so hard to look at things objectively? (politics)

I believe it's either just ignorance, or that they have so much arrogance that they think their opinion is the only one that matters.

Case in point is the EU referendum. A whole army of wealthy celebrities telling everyone that they think it's best if we stay in the EU. Well, so what? Of course they'd say that. They live in exclusive super-rich villages and take 4 holidays a year to Crete or Sardinia.

They say that it's 'shocking and unbelievable' that we have left the EU. Well, it's not really is it? Are you really that shocked that workers seeing their wages being undercut, or fishers with tight EU restrictions want to leave?

Even as a brexiteer, I can totally see why someone living in London would want to remain. More jobs, investment, science, whatever. But those people seem unable to comprehend that there are people living in the UK who aren't in the same position as them.

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Reply 1

Truths

What you described wasn't objective either. Your reasons for supporting leave are just as personal?...

Reply 2

richpanda

Original post by Truths

What you described wasn't objective either. Your reasons for supporting leave are just as personal?...

Where did I state my reasons for supporting leave?

Reply 3

Nunchuck-master-2334

Nigel Farage was possibly the rudest about the whole referendum though. He said that everybody who chose to leave chose correctly. Does he mean that there was a correct answer and a wrong answer?

Reply 4

KingBradly

People who call themselves left-wing proclaiming their love for the EU; Couldn't get much more ironic. When people are able to be so completely lacking in consistency, desiring actual objectivity is just a pipe dream.

Reply 5

Truths

Original post by richpanda

Where did I state my reasons for supporting leave?

That's neither here nor there. Rich people wanting to remain for travel benefits and fishers wanting to leave for less restrictive fishing policies are both subjective reasons.

Reply 6

richpanda

Original post by Mvine001

Nigel Farage was possibly the rudest about the whole referendum though. He said that everybody who chose to leave chose correctly. Does he mean that there was a correct answer and a wrong answer?

No it doesn't, if he said that he was wrong to. He may have meant what he thinks is the correct answer, which is of course not being objective.

Reply 7

Nunchuck-master-2334

Exactly. It's Nigel Farage who chose wrong, not us!

Reply 8

KingBradly

Original post by Mvine001

Nigel Farage was possibly the rudest about the whole referendum though. He said that everybody who chose to leave chose correctly. Does he mean that there was a correct answer and a wrong answer?

Nah, the remain voters saying that leave voters where all bunch of uneducated morons and old people were definitely the rudest. Incredible amount of prejudice coming from people who mainly spend their lives fighting against that kind of thing.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 9

richpanda

Original post by Truths

That's neither here nor there. Rich people wanting to remain for travel benefits and fishers wanting to leave for less restrictive fishing policies are both subjective reasons.

Those are both examples of people being subjective. I believe that in those 2 arguments stated, the fishermen have a much more worthy argument.

My point is that the rich celebrities can't seem to look past their own interests, and to see what is happening to others in the country.

Reply 10

username2324315

Original post by KingBradly

Hmmmm although the remain campaigners said some nasty things to old people and leave voters, some members of the leave side committed arson attacks to immigrants and one even killed an MP...

Reply 11

richpanda

Original post by KingBradly

b..b..but they're racist!

Reply 12

richpanda

Original post by george_c00per

Hmmmm although the remain campaigners said some nasty things to old people and leave voters, some members of the leave side committed arson attacks to immigrants and one even killed an MP...

Although the killer would probably have voted leave, it is extremely unfair to try and affiliate it with the leave campaign. He was tied in with neo-nazi groups

Reply 13

WhimsicalSloth

I think it's partly due to the fact that in politics, there is no absolute 'right' or 'wrong' answer for anything, or at least there very rarely is. Objective arguments based upon factual evidence do exist of course, although the media seems to do a very good job of manipulating facts or spinning lies altogether, and people can be very easily swayed by this. This is no new thing of course, but it's worth mentioning at the very least.

So as an example- you have one person believing one argument, based upon the evidence of one potentially biased source, and another person with an altogether different argument from another potentially biased source. I think egotism plays a part as well- people quite simply do not like to be proven wrong or be told how to think, but it is always going to hold us back from progressing any further if people do not allow themselves to be challenged and think for themselves.

Reply 14

richpanda

Original post by WhimsicalSloth

I agree that there is never really a right or wrong answer in politics. However I'm trying to say that people can't even look at an issue and understand the reasons why someone would vote in a different way to them.

Reply 15

username2324315

Original post by richpanda

Although the killer would probably have voted leave, it is extremely unfair to try and affiliate it with the leave campaign. He was tied in with neo-nazi groups

He was also affiliated with Britain First and marched with them often.. we all know what they wanted to vote. He affiliated himself with the leave campaign, even if the very large majority of that side disagreed with his actions.

Reply 16

user 42005

Original post by richpanda

Equally, remain voters would say why couldn't the fishermen look past their own interests and see how the referendum affects others in the country. You could argue that the common fisheries policy is designed to protect the environment, which is a much more worthy argument than allowing a few fishermen to fish further afield. For the record, I agree that the policy is a bit ridiculous and should be different for countries that have a large coastline, as opposed to those who have little. But I can also see why it was in place and the other arguments (economic, political etc) are much more important than something as small as fishing. At the end of the day, the rational, selfish mind will vote for what favours themselves the best, so celebrities will vote for less travel restrictions and fishermen will vote for less fishing restrictions - even if this means overlooking the bigger picture. Sad, yes, but it's a fact of life.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 17

WhimsicalSloth

Original post by richpanda

I guess it's almost like a tribal instinct for these people, but I agree- it is sad that people feel the need to be fiercely loyal to their party or choice of vote even when they know that the alternative would probably be more beneficial overall.

Reply 18

scrotgrot

If there are so many people in abject misery due to the established order why don't they vote the Tories out in general elections?

It seems paradoxical: but there is a very simple and very shaming explanation. People blame all their problems on whoever the newspapers tell them to. Whether it's the Labour Party, benefit claimants, disabled people, immigrants or the EU.