I agree with the logic of this analysis, but I have a problem with one of the implicit premises: that “we” should care about political issues at all, and that “we” make governmental decisions. I think this is wrong, and its wrongness explains the seemingly puzzling phenomenon of jumping from tree to forest.
There was no need for anyone beyond the jury to have an opinion on the Duke lacrosse case. We weren’t making any decisions there. I certainly wasn’t, anyway. So of course when people do express an interest, it is for entertainment and showing off only. They may think it is for other reasons, but it is essentially a form of social interaction, part of the status game that we are all playing. And this game is played better with big issues than with small ones.
Likewise with poor Cheerios. (It’s funny—I wrote a semi joking rant last night defending Cheerios, and as a result I now find myself quite favorably disposed to the little yellow box; an effect we have often discussed and warned against.) I don’t need to have an opinion on what the FDA should be doing. They aren’t asking me. Nobody’s asking me. At best I can vote for a President who can appoint an FDA commissioner and perhaps set policy, but my influence on this process is infinitesimal.
So once again, if I do take an interest it will be as part of a social game, not because it’s something I can do anything about.
This effect is the fundamental reason why ideology rules in politics. It’s because our beliefs don’t matter, so we adopt them just for fun and for a competitive edge. We don’t seem to recognize this, perhaps because believing ideologies are important helps us win the game. But it explains why people are quick to see little things in the context of big issues.
I agree with the logic of this analysis, but I have a problem with one of the implicit premises: that “we” should care about political issues at all, and that “we” make governmental decisions. I think this is wrong, and its wrongness explains the seemingly puzzling phenomenon of jumping from tree to forest.
There was no need for anyone beyond the jury to have an opinion on the Duke lacrosse case. We weren’t making any decisions there. I certainly wasn’t, anyway. So of course when people do express an interest, it is for entertainment and showing off only. They may think it is for other reasons, but it is essentially a form of social interaction, part of the status game that we are all playing. And this game is played better with big issues than with small ones.
Likewise with poor Cheerios. (It’s funny—I wrote a semi joking rant last night defending Cheerios, and as a result I now find myself quite favorably disposed to the little yellow box; an effect we have often discussed and warned against.) I don’t need to have an opinion on what the FDA should be doing. They aren’t asking me. Nobody’s asking me. At best I can vote for a President who can appoint an FDA commissioner and perhaps set policy, but my influence on this process is infinitesimal.
So once again, if I do take an interest it will be as part of a social game, not because it’s something I can do anything about.
This effect is the fundamental reason why ideology rules in politics. It’s because our beliefs don’t matter, so we adopt them just for fun and for a competitive edge. We don’t seem to recognize this, perhaps because believing ideologies are important helps us win the game. But it explains why people are quick to see little things in the context of big issues.