Flat earthers have children, too

  

Ever wonder what it would take to change your most fervently held views? 

I’ve started to think about this in our increasingly polarized world. Over the past few years, I’ve seen some people do a complete 180 when it comes to their political views. I wonder what it would take for me to do a flip like that... To turn on Fox News and put on a MAGA cap. Would I have to hit rock bottom? Hmm... Probably. 

The divergence in political views is the most obvious schism in our society. It’s become more significant than religious differences, although the two are often intertwined.  

Where do we obtain these stridently held views? As it turns out, we’re at highest risk of adopting the same ideologies as our parents. As much as we like to think we’re independent free thinkers, our political and religious views are most influenced by how we are raised.  

That’s not to say you’ll hold the exact same perspective as your mom or dad. Generations hold different views. Genders hold different views. Research now shows that young women are becoming more liberal than past generations while young men are becoming slightly more conservative. 

It’s also common to change our views over time. I freely admit, I’ve become more conservative as I’ve grown older. But compared to people my age who actually call themselves conservative, I’m probably still far in left field.

Yet I can also be pragmatic and willing to compromise, which would suggest I’m not a complete idealogue. In my view, that’s a good thing – but again, it’s my view. Some people may not see that as a positive. 

Especially when the stakes are high, one can see how a willingness to compromise can be viewed as a weakness. On the issues I hold dear, like providing aid for Ukraine, I don’t see a whole lot of grey area.  I can create numerous arguments to defend my position, even though I understand there’s always a limit to the support that can be provided. 

On less controversial subjects, I may cede more ground. I’ve been an ardent environmentalist in the past, but I’ve softened those views as I’ve come to realize there’s a limit to environmental protection while also improving living standards. Why should wealthy nations impose economic restrictions on the rest of the world without allowing them to first rise out of poverty? 

Sounds reasonable, at least to me.

If you’re someone who believes we need to stop economic growth immediately for the benefit of future generations, you won’t think I sound reasonable. I’m part of the problem! And you could be right – who knows how bad it could get in 100 years. 

And if you’re someone who says climate change doesn’t exist and, even if it did, it doesn’t matter because the world will end soon anyway, I get... uneasy. I might even get a little worked up. 

It can be an interesting but daunting exercise to try to defend someone’s viewpoint whom you vehemently disagree with. I can get into the head of a climate change denier (some of whom I am friends with) and we can peacefully co-exist. But what about a hard-right-wing anti-immigrant Trump supporter?

If I tried hard enough, I suppose I could understand why they feel the way they do... Social changes can make us all uneasy at times – especially us non-Millennials. And while I don’t agree with this, I can understand how newcomers could be viewed as undeservedly taking peoples’ jobs and benefits. And government regulations do tend to hinder economic opportunity. Just ask the man from New York who struggled for a year to get a liquor license for his new restaurant, only to be closed a few days later due to pandemic restrictions. He had a seemingly legitimate reason to take a turn to the far right. 

I suppose even flat earthers have a point. Isn’t life far simpler when you don’t have to worry about what revolves around what? So much easier when you’re explaining it to the kids! 

Obviously, this gets more difficult the more extreme the view. But it can be a useful exercise to at least try to relate.

In a polarized world, everything helps.