Ultra-conservatives and black-and-white thinking

[Hane]

Has anyone else noticed a tendency toward black-and-white reasoning among those who veer ultra-conservative (especially religiously so)? I've seen this in my own life. Among certain people, if it should come up that I'm liberal in my views (I rarely volunteer this information), they're visibly taken aback and often try to tell me how wrong I am.

I see this moral absolutism among Fox commentators, Tea Party adherents, and the fundies we follow here. I've only seen it in one extreme lefty I know, a rather literal-minded young women who doesn't grasp the concept of satire.

[Anny Nym]

Well, I think ALL ultra - ______________ (insert ideology, political stance or religious view of your choice here) have a tendency towards black-and-white reasoning. That´s where the "ultra" part comes from in the first place. :mrgreen:

[polecat]

Well, maybe this is black-and-white of me, but when you're ultra-religious, life in general is black-and-white: Either your god says it's okay or it isn't okay. There's no possible in-between.

Whereas the rest of us -- religious or not -- believe that there are many shades of gray for just about everything in life.

[eri]

Ultra-hippie doesn't sound bad. Ultra-anti-child-abuse, ultra-anti-famine, etc.

Nope, "ultra" is definitely not synonymous with bad or crazy. Ultra is only bad when applied to ideologies that can possibly hurt people. You know, like individualistic politics and the promotion of hateful biblical laws.

[Anny Nym]

Every ideology can possibly hurt people, if applied by someone who is "ultra" (as a synonym for extremist).

[eri]

Every ideology can possibly hurt people, if applied by someone who is "ultra" (as a synonym for extremist).

See above?

[GotCaughtDancing]

If they only think in black and white they do not have to use any kind of critical thinking. And this is how they force idea's upon others thinking they are right when in many cases they lack any kind of reasoning behind what they are saying.

I know some people like this that are not Ultra anythings, but very hard to deal with.

[Peas n carrots]

Ultra-hippie doesn't sound bad. Ultra-anti-child-abuse, ultra-anti-famine, etc.

Nope, "ultra" is definitely not synonymous with bad or crazy. Ultra is only bad when applied to ideologies that can possibly hurt people. You know, like individualistic politics and the promotion of hateful biblical laws.

Please look up Sparkling Lauren immediatly. Ultra-hippie can be a bad thing too.

[Arete]

In my particular family there are a few hard core ideologues who identify as Marxists or Communists and that subset all identify somewhere between agnostic and atheist. Believe me when I say that not only are they black and white thinkers, they are equally as dangerous to a free society as a conservative, FOX news watching religious nut. That is the problem with hard core ideologues of any persuasion: they all believe they have to limit people to usher in their version of utopia.

[Peas n carrots]

I think black/white thinking is indicative of people wanting easy answers - and easy answers are indicative of insecurity with ambiguity.

If there are "shades of gray" so to speak, that means you have to think a bit more. That means acknowledging every situation is unique, and a generalized answer may not work for that particular situation. Perfect example is sex/gender - women and men in many belief systems have predetermined roles based partly on biology. But gays/transgender folks kind of blow that theory out of the water, as they can't be put in the black/white box of either/or. I think this is part of the reason why anti-gay marriage folks fight this dead horse so hard...legal gay marriage is a governmental endorsement of the possibility that the world is not black and white.

Sorry if I'm rambling...I'm still making my way through my cup of coffee :wink-kitty:

[Terrie]

I am reminded for this joke from Big Bang Theory:

Stuart: Ooh, Sheldon, I'm afraid you couldn't be more wrong.

Sheldon: More wrong? Wrong is an absolute state and not subject to gradation.

Stuart: Of course it is. It's a little wrong to say a tomato is a vegetable, it's very wrong to say it's a suspension bridge.

[Vivi_music]

Well, yes, life isn't black and white. And no matter if you are leftie or rightie, these ideologies can certainly become extreme. And to be fair, that's how cult work too. They tell members that it's their cult or nothing else. They don't have a choice, if they leave their soul will be doomed to eternal hell, or they won't be able to survive, etc. It is certainly their way or no other way.

Also considering most hippies were utopian socialists (which isn't a bad think per se), it can certainly be pushed to the extreme.

[August]

Ultra-hippie doesn't sound bad. Ultra-anti-child-abuse, ultra-anti-famine, etc.

Nope, "ultra" is definitely not synonymous with bad or crazy. Ultra is only bad when applied to ideologies that can possibly hurt people. You know, like individualistic politics and the promotion of hateful biblical laws.

Left wing beleifs/attitudes/causes tend to, by definition, be flexible, situational etc.

Take abortion. The antis are 100% black and white, whereas the other side isn't pro, it's all well, in this situation, or that siuation, she mightfeelsthis, he might feel that.

It's why left wing talk radio doesn't work very well, we end up with NPR instead.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Left wing beleifs/attitudes/causes tend to, by definition, be flexible, situational etc.

Take abortion. The antis are 100% black and white, whereas the other side isn't pro, it's all well, in this situation, or that siuation, she mightfeelsthis, he might feel that.

It's why left wing talk radio doesn't work very well, we end up with NPR instead.

Huh?

NPR is not "ultra" left except in FOX news land.

Ultra-left would be Marxist and historically many Marxist regimes had no problem ignoring the preferences of individual women and dictating to women that birth control and abortion were either prohibited (Eg Romania) or mandatory (eg China).

[VelociRapture]

Like other posters have mentioned, all ideologies - regardless of whether or not they are conservative or religious - have the potential to cause harm.

Comparision time:

- Catholic Popes and Kings waged the Crusades against Muslims in Palestine and Jerusalem, killing a good number of them. This was done in order to protect the faith and Holy Land from the heathens. Also of note are The Troubles in Northern Ireland, during which Protestants and Catholics butchered one another (thankfully, that seems to have settled down somewhat).

- Stalin was an atheist and he killed a huge number of people; in fact, I believe he was responsible for more deaths than Hitler was and Hitler murdered at least a few million innocent people. This probably has more to do with his political ideology than his lack of religion, but still.

[Soulhuntress]

Fundies are Fundies. No matter if they quote the Lord or the Goddess. Extremists on all sides are ridiculous. :stir-pot:

[Jana814]

Fundies are Fundies. No matter if they quote the Lord or the Goddess. Extremists on all sides are ridiculous. :stir-pot:

Agree!

[louisa05]

I have noticed that the black/white thinking is the hardest thing for people who were raised in fundamentalist ideologies and have left to get past. One friend of mine who was homeschooled and the whole nine yards still struggles with that kind of either/or thinking and in the last few years (having left it all nearly 20 years ago) has finally realized that she tends to think that way. She is learning to make herself see the gray in the world now, but it is not easy for her. Her instinct has been that the complete opposite of her childhood is always the only answer.

[Mama Mia]

I don't know if black and white thinking is always tied to a philosophy, although I'm sure extremism and rigid parenting certainly encourage it. I have some family members who are very black and white thinkers - but it just seems to be their personalities. It doesn't matter what the topic is - anyone who disagrees with them is wrong. And their opinions can be all over the political and social map.