Why is it so Hard for People to be Moderates?

[Wyrt]

No. No they're not.

Yes, they are. Just look at the compared to the rest of the developed world. You think Democrats are as to the left as the left leaning parties in Canada or Netherlands or Sweden or Australia?

Democrats are moderates. Republicans are crazy far out to the right.

[Wells]

So are a lot of your post. What is hilarious is the left got shit on something fierce this election.

Couple minutes later and I'm still chuckling at this idea that the GOP was offering moderation in 2008 and 2014

[munkeyinorbit]

Honestly, both the left and right political spectrum have valid and invalid issues. Why do people cling so aggressively to one side or the other? Why not just look at the actual issue first then decide which side of the political spectrum is correct based on studies and evidence?

For example, I am left leaning democratic socialist, in favor of stricter immigration laws, oppose tax cuts for corporations and the super wealthy, pro-gun, pro-choice, and an advocate for free college/healthcare. I am hated by both he left and the right because I actually read studies and gravitate toward evidence instead of just picking a side and sticking with it.

People need to stop mindlessly picking sides when it comes to political issues, and instead actually use critical thinking and unbiased evidence analysis to reach solutions.

Am I asking for too much?

You are confusing people who give their opinions with normal people. Normal people are generally moderate. People who give their opinions in forums are generally motivated to do so and are rarely moderate. Having an Internet argument generally involves people are extreme in their views.

[purebalance]

There exists a certain terminal point at which no amount of logic or reason or emotion can dislodge a firmly held conviction.

Moderation or Middle of the Road works only in a very simplistic understanding of conflict. Say I want to build a house on a plot of land and you don't, we can't build half a house and call it the "Middle Way". Life does not work that way. Conflicts cannot be necessarily settled with a Middle Way in a great plethora of cases.

That fits what I said. You literally said what I said, but acted like I did not say that. I said there are places where a moderate would take from the right, take from the left, and/or meet in the middle.

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Say I'm against the immigration policy in my country and deem it as the single most important, trumping all other questions then I'm not going to compromise on that.

So simply because you're against immigration policy in the US(let's assume you mean you don't think illegal immigrants should get amnesty), but you're pro choice. Should you be a republican who would be pro life typically or a democrat who would be pro amnesty? Having a strong opinion about an area doesn't make you right, left, or a certain party. The collection of ideals is what defines where you fall.

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This. I am still technically registered as a Democrat, but I voted 3rd party this election cycle.

My views are more middle of the ground. I don't subscribe to everything Democrats are selling, and don't agree with all that much that Republicans are selling.
Which makes it fun when I have my Ultra Liberal friends arguing with my more Conservative friends. They both try to get me to "join" their side, as if that is how it works.

I also get called a "Trump apologist" and "Kremlin apologist" when I fact-check my Ultra Liberal friends, and then get called a "snowflake needing a safe-space" when I fact-check my more Conservative friends. I really get a good laugh out of both extremes.

It really is ridiculous how diametric we have become at this point.

[Deleted]

The problem with extremists is that their definition of moderate is completely wrong

For example, you ask a religious person who thinks abortion is actual child-murder what the correct "moderate" opinion is on abortion, and it definitely won't allow for it under any circumstances

Similar to if you ask someone on the left if transgender people may just be mentally ill, and they definitely won't allow for it under any circumstances

All extremists have a line they cannot cross because some things are "absolutely" right, even though they might be highly questionable

Taking a "moderate" position in cases where one side is right and the other wrong isn't actually "moderate."

For example, if you don't believe that nazis deserve scorn, humiliation, and to be ridiculed to the point of fear, you're not "moderate," you're a nazi sympathizer. Or if you believe that pregnant people should not be allowed to terminate that pregnancy at any point: you're not a "moderate," you're a bigot and an idiot.

Moderate only works in cases where more than one side has merit.

Perfect example

[purebalance]

Yes, because the American "left" is really moderates.

Hardly /tenchar

[Fitheach]

That fits what I said. You literally said what I said, but acted like I did not say that. I said there are places where a moderate would take from the right, take from the left, and/or meet in the middle.

That is the opposite of what I said. I am saying there is often NO-MIDDLE CHOICE! There is no taking a bit of both sides, there is either/or.

[purebalance]

That is the opposite of what I said. I am saying there is often NO-MIDDLE CHOICE! There is no taking a bit of both sides, there is either/or.

And being a moderate doesn't mean you make a middle choice which is what I said. Being a moderate is sometimes a middle choice, sometimes a left choice, sometimes a a right choice and yet you said "rabble rabble rabble you can't always make a middle choice"

[TITAN308]

If a person is moderate then they will get attacked by both sides.

lol probably the most accurate answer ITT

What is even worse if you have firm beliefs that would put you in both the left and right wing depending on the issue then you are basically hung out to dry by both sides.

[Noradin]

1. Humans are hard-wired with an us vs. them mentality. It's evolutionary and you can see where identifying with a group and gaining the benefits (like protection and food sharing and such) thereof. So we put people into buckets and determine if they are in our in-group or our out-group. Unfortunately, the political system just reinforces this.

Humans aren't mindless beast who are beholden to their instincts and cannot think. They are perfectly capable of cooperation with strangers, in fact, what generally seperates humans as a species from apes is innate altruism.
In short, the "instinctive us versus them mentality" is an excuse.

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Taking a "moderate" position in cases where one side is right and the other wrong isn't actually "moderate."

Yes, that is the difference between moderate and middle ground.

[Eliseus]

People don't aggressively cling to the side, at least what is portrayed. When actually having a civil discussion with fellow people that would be defined as republicans by the liberals they see good attributes on both sides. They just tend to vote Republican because of things like being against abortion are typically republican traits and things like that tend to usually outweigh the good stuff from the democratic side. Not saying for all, because I have many "Republican" friends who voted for Obama even as another example. Liberals though (not all of democrats being implied as liberals, just as liberals try to refer to all the right as alt-right) are in their own little world where basically f everyone and everything that disagrees with them, but for the sake of just always being against republicans, f anything they like.

[Magicpot]

From an european perspective, because the choice is between right wing and super extreme right wing.

[Espe]

Yes, they are. Just look at the compared to the rest of the developed world. You think Democrats are as to the left as the left leaning parties in Canada or Netherlands or Sweden or Australia?

Democrats are moderates. Republicans are crazy far out to the right.

Too much truth in one post, be careful.

What is even worse if you have firm beliefs that would put you in both the left and right wing depending on the issue then you are basically hung out to dry by both sides.

Your post history is full of right-wing tantrums so I know you're not pretending to be a moderate now.

[Zafire]

I don't know what the hell I am.

Liberally, I'm pro choice. I think healthcare and childcare should be "free". I do not think college should be free, but I am not against it being supported financially under specific circumstances. I am not against immigration. I'm open to it. I think it should be easier to get a Visa. Facts show immigration crime is not even a huge problem. I prefer to avoid violence if possible. I don't think we should provoke war.

Conservatively, I'm pro-gun. I think immigrants should integrate, and potentially face deportation if they refuse to. I am against leeching, but not against people being on welfare that legitimately need it. I think violence is the answer sometimes. I know radical Muslims are a thing, but I know peaceful Muslims are too. I think welfare and food stamps should be more strictly controlled.

I'm more against people that could work and refuse to than I am against integrated illegal immigrants.

Liberals call me a Conservative and Conservatives call me a "Pussified Liberal". lol

[Varaben]

Humans aren't mindless beast who are beholden to their instincts and cannot think. They are perfectly capable of cooperation with strangers, in fact, what generally seperates humans as a species from apes is innate altruism.
In short, the "instinctive us versus them mentality" is an excuse.

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Yes, that is the difference between moderate and middle ground.

No one is saying we are mindless beasts. I'm saying we have to recognize these biases exist and consciously fight against them. Most people fail to do the first part and thus don't ever get to make the decision to do the second. Obviously we aren't mindless or we would rape and kill each other. These things come out in very subtle ways and if you aren't mindful you will miss it.

Sure it's an excuse but I'm not using it as a reason to be racist or whatever. But people who are racist are succombing to this bias and they aren't self aware enough to know it. I thought that was clear in my post, so sorry for the confusion.

[Deleted]

OP, it's easy to reply to your title question.

Let's say that you have many people middle left and middle right and a few radicals on each side.

Now, let's say that a few of those radicals somehow either get to power or in a position that is important. Since they are radicals, they will start spreading their bullshit. As they do, the radicals from the other side will say "see, I told you those guys are like demons from Hell!" and their view will start to make sense. And some of the moderates will become more radical themselves. As they do that, the radicals grow in number, so the people on the first side will say "see, I told you those guys are the actual demons from Hell!" and their side will start gaining radicals and losing moderates.

So, numbers of radical people grows on each side, and the conflict grows with it as, as the numbers of radicals grows, they also support increasingly radical characters in leading positions to oppose those evil guys from the OTHER side.
Now... if people were educated enough and had enough time, they could document themselves and understand that they are falling into this pitfall. You are from the USA. Your education system has become more and more expensive, so less people can afford to finish a good education. Furthermore, due to the low pay, many people sometimes have 2 jobs or work overtime. When they get home, they don't have time or interest in the political debate. But they hear on tv or from a radical how "evil other side did X horrible thing" (it might not be true or might be made bigger than it is). They don't have time or are not educated enough to see if that is true. So they believe it and start hating the other side.

TL;DR: Unfortunately, this polarization is an effect of the lack of education and the fact that people have less time to think about anything else besides the day of tomorrow.

[TITAN308]

Your post history is full of right-wing tantrums so I know you're not pretending to be a moderate now.

I'm not claming anything other than the fact that I agree with both the right-wing and the left wing on certain subjects.

Again, I don't identify as either. I've told you as much, but you keep insisting out of the hopes you will bait me.

And please don't talk to me about tantrums.

[starlord]

i've been called a radical pinko feminazi commie for not wanting my bodily rights violated.
i consider myself pretty moderate.

[Manabomb]

The reason it's hard for me to be moderate is due to the hate, fear mongering and absolute crazy that is the American conservatives. The fear that brown people are going to waltz over here from halfway across the world and kill you, or the fear that brown people are coming across the border in scores like some kind of B zombie invasion movie as well as the fear of gun rights being "restricted" is a complete fabrication of the right, especially Donald.

On top of that, you have conservative congressmen claiming that women should be forced to carry their rapists baby to term, you have governors that deny women their right to free speech. The American left has its problems, but the right is nothing more than a 4-chanesque cesspool that can't decide if brown people are good for manual farming labor or bad because they took all the factory jobs.

[Celista]

For example, I am left leaning democratic socialist, in favor of stricter immigration laws, oppose tax cuts for corporations and the super wealthy, pro-gun, pro-choice, and an advocate for free college/healthcare. I am hated by both he left and the right because I actually read studies and gravitate toward evidence instead of just picking a side and sticking with it.

LOL no you don't...no offense man, you just spout of conservative nonsense without any sort of research in any thread I've read. Not sure what part of your ideology is "democratic socialist".

OT: most people are moderates, if you talk to them about policy without the labels it is apparent that most people fall in the middle. What you are seeing in the US is basic ingroup/outgroup behavior where the other political party is demonized due to essentially tribalism.

If we are to thrive as a country again we need people who can bring the two groups together. Something that can more likely be accomplished by political independents, rather than a third party (although a prominent 3rd/4th parties would have other benefits to democracy).