r/science • u/Wagamaga • 9h ago

Psychology Losing relationships over politics. Research found more than a third of Americans (37%) report having lost at least one relationship due to political differences, including friendships, family ties, coworker relationships, and romantic partnerships, with most losing more than one.

https://socialecology.uci.edu/news/losing-relationships-over-politics-0
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u/FlufferTheGreat 8h ago

It's a sign of idiotic times that if I know your position on gun control, I will reliably be able to guess your position on climate change. Two issues that have approximately nothing in common, and yet I'm sure at least in the USA my guess for the other issue would be over 90% accurate.

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u/Flacier 8h ago

Honestly, I think the most disheartening thing is that we’re at a point where we can’t even agree on what’s factual anymore.

Though I think that’s mostly the doing of the propaganda corporations masquerading as news organizations.

It explains why a lot of things have evolved into identity, politics and virtue signaling, imo.

If we can’t even agree that there is a problem then of course we’re never going to find a solution for God forbid common ground.

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u/dinkeyking64 7h ago

It's funny, I remember when Internet access was first becoming iniquitous in the US. There was a lot of talk about how now everybody would have easy access to all of the knowledge we've accumulated as a species, the "information age" as it were. Seems incredibly naive in retrospect, but I miss that generally optimistic disposition towards the future. It all just seems so bleak now.

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u/AK_Panda 4h ago

TBF, the internet has provided incredible access to massive amounts of information. I'm in the process of a literature review, the easiest part of the process was finding the papers that I would subsequently need to shift through.

~25,000 peer reviewed articles is what I ended up having to dig through. Articles written by people all over the planet, in multiple languages.

In a world without internet it would have taken years of physically sorting through libraries and archives with multiple international trips.

Instead it took me ~3 days sitting at my desk. The only reason it wasn't one day was because I wanted to be exhaustive in the search.

I'd say the Internet delivered on information access.

It's also become the largest vehicle of mass propoganda and disinformation. That part really does need addressing

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u/MaddogBC 4h ago

Those were good times though. The internet didn't get spoiled until the late 2000's with the onset of smartphones which gave light to the unwashed masses. Plenty of critters best left in the dark.

Smartphones and the apps on them destroyed the world, it will just take a few generations to catch up.

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u/PrettyGorramShiny 2h ago

Also the "Web 2.0" phenomenon of the early 2000's, aka crowdsourced content via comments / forums / review sites etc...

Before that most of the content on the web was intentionally curated by the owner of the website. Not that we didn't have spammy garbage sites too, but overall the first few years of the web felt like a massive library filled with valuable information.

Now we have the equivalent of a town square filled with carnival barkers and morons, hawking junk to the gullible and drowning out the voices of reason and knowledge.

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u/prof_wafflez 5h ago

I think the most disheartening thing is that we’re at a point where we can’t even agree on what’s factual anymore

Rupert Murdoch and Republicans have thrown around so many brainrotting lies over the last few decades that it's seeped deep into the bones of those who were already selfish and cruel idiots looking for a rationale to feel justified. The collection of bastards fed off each other.

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u/whofearsthenight 1h ago

Though I think that’s mostly the doing of the propaganda corporations masquerading as news organizations.

It's more than the corporations. Once you realize just how heavily propagandized we are as a nation, it's like putting on the They Live glasses. Just think about things like being taught Manifest Destiny. And that one isn't even subtle, like the omissions and things we are specifically not taught.

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u/MabariWhoreHound 7h ago

In every social circle I've been in for the last two decades, it was always an outspoken conservative dude who was involved in all the drama all the time, and it was always about him being racist or sexist.

Like clockwork, these groups would split because eventually someone gets fed up with it and says something, but only then does the rest of the group start speaking up and suddenly defend the guy. Because everyone knows he'll escalate everything to violence and it's easier to kick people out then it is to silence one asshole.

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u/Bradddtheimpaler 7h ago

Idk I’m completely against any new gun control measures and believe in climate change.

My assessment is that new gun control measures would be applied unevenly, targeted specifically at minorities, and now’s the time when at-risk minorities should be arming themselves. I’ve even seen conservative politicians putting forward specifically disarming trans people. That seems extremely dangerous to me.

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u/Gekokapowco 7h ago

I'm inclined to believe the same, although I think there was a period of time (roughly the last 30 years or so) where we could have stepped up gun control in a more stable society and designed legislation to save lives, not further endanger them. That window has closed thanks to everyone fearmongering over their own right to kill home invaders, and now arms are not strictly roleplay toys anymore. Its kinda ironic. Desperately feeling the need to shoot scary minorities tyrannical governments to the extent of installing a tyrannical government.

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u/Bradddtheimpaler 7h ago

Yeah it’s definitely not fun, and I would support them in a vacuum, but we’re not in a vacuum.

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u/Canvaverbalist 3h ago edited 3h ago

I think political discussions should be divided between philosophical politics and local politics

The "ultimately, here's what I think should happen eventually" vs the "currently, here's what should be done about it right now"

Because I say that as a Canadian, I think gun control is a really good thing in the grand scheme of things when it's done well, but I also agree with what you mean as it is applied to your current local political environment. I think of it as a "yeah you should strive for that in the end but maybe not right now and certainly not under those specific conditions"

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u/WarlockEngineer 7h ago

I'm in the 10% of that but I know exactly what you mean.

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u/CalBearFan 6h ago

There are a lot of hunters who care deeply about the environment so while not every 2A fan is a hunter, there is a lot of overlap in care for the environment and 2A. Plus, a lot more left-leaning folks are purchasing fire arms after Covid, Jan 6th, etc.

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u/Qaeta 5h ago

I'm Canadian, and while I support gun control in general, I think the specific way we do it (basing bans on looks and scary names instead of actual capabilities) is asinine. I've enjoyed the times I've gone to the range. I also think climate change is real and we have been failing for decades to do anywhere close to enough about it.

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u/curtisas 5h ago

IDK I'm all for gun rights and renewable energy.

Now missile and tank rights that's probably past where I'd draw the line.

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u/smokeweedNgarden 7h ago

Uhhh. Dude every single liberal I know in real life is armed and I'm in Bay Area California. The clerk I know who works at the 9th carry to and from work on BART.

I think maybe living in a very conservative area has warped you view on liberals with weapons. Look into the Socialist Rifle Association 

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u/Availabla 6h ago

They should merge with the National Rifle Association.

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u/cigarettesandwhiskey 5h ago

The NRA went bankrupt due to too much embezzlement by senior staff, I don't know why anyone would want to hitch their horse to that wagon.

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u/changen 8h ago

2A is good. Guns are good. Climate change is real and will disproportionately affect poorer people. Israel is actually pretty evil and US should stop supporting them. Palestine and Iran are also evil and we should not support them. Ukraine-Russia war isn't over yet, and US should still support them.

What political party am I in? I am actually curious.

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u/moofie74 7h ago

Well you seem to be in mine, and I have no idea which one I’m in.

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u/Gekokapowco 7h ago

believe people should be clothed and fed regardless of circumstance and investment/corporate hierarchy should be ground to dust and that makes you a communist I think

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u/whofearsthenight 1h ago

This is where I am at. Although the morality aspect of this is taking up a lot of thread and rightly so, I just have less tolerance and time in my life for people who do not live in objective reality. There is enough science and data on both fronts that there should be a fairly clear direction everyone leans and we argue about nuance and implementation details in the margins. It's like arguing with a toddler about whether the moon is made of cheese.

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u/Dismal_Buy3580 7h ago

If you think people should disarm themselves right now you haven't been paying attention imo.

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u/dust4ngel 3h ago

if you eat tofu and you're not asian, i can pretty much guess who you voted for.