In this episode, I discuss the current topics of polarization and cancel culture and explore the roots of these phenomena and what the consequences are.

We build realities.

Everyone is a victim in their own story. Constantly position themselves as the central character on the side of good. Moral center of their own story.

WHY WE CANCEL:

Cancelled i “to dismiss something or somebody; to reject an individual or an idea.” Essentially, this practice encourages a community to blackball, isolate and shun an individual from society

Projection: They are like that (even though it is me)

Compensation: Makes me better

Distraction: They won’t know I’m bad.

Revenge: They probably deserve it

Generalization: They are the problem

Censorship: Ideas are dangerous

Social Proof: Others think this

Martyrdom: a display of feigned or exaggerated suffering to obtain sympathy or admiration

VIRTUE SIGNALLING: the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.

Virtue shaming: ” If you really cared, then you’d donate/volunteer/etc.” Stuff like that. Basically the idea is that there must be an ulterior motive behind any public display of compassion.

Moral posturing is therefore to take a public moral stance on an issue. This can sometimes result in holier than thou behaviour, but also hypocritical behaviour.

Moral superiority is the belief or attitude that one’s position and actions are justified by having higher moral values than others.

Righteousness: the quality of being morally right or justifiable.

Justification: the action of showing something to be right or reasonable.

POLARIZING BIAS

Either you are FOR or AGAINST

No more nuance.

Extreme or Nothing.

Attention goes to the extreme.

Availability Bias… we think that’s the case.

WHERE DO WE STAND?

2 OPTIONS 2 GROUPS

GROUPTHINK

FRIENDS INCAPABLE OF APOLOGY. ALWAYS HAVE TO BE RIGHT.

SOLUTIONS:

Learn to live in the middle

Stay vigilant

Remember Socrates Lesson

If people pick a fight:

Don’t engage

If you do engage… focus on facts and question sources and evidence

Communicate balance constantly

If people try and cancel you

Avoid engaging is possible

If you must – BE CLEAR about what you said and meant.

Understand if people were hurt by what you said and if so apologize sincerely and clearly

If people are attacking you for their own righteousness or virtue signalling then take the wind out of their stream.