Critical Thinking: Does Identity Politics Stop People From Having To Think For Themselves?

For a little while now, there has been something called 'identity politics,' and one way of looking at this would be to say that this is a way of viewing the world. Everyone is seen as belonging to a particular gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.

What this means is that it is not important what would benefit people in general; what matters is looking after a particular group. Therefore, people are not seen as individuals; they are seen as being part of a group that is either oppressed or part of a group that oppresses others.

Two Options

Once someone believes that they belong to a certain group, it can cause them to go one of two ways. Either they will believe that they are being held back, or they will believe that they are holding other people back.

The former can then feel angry and full of rage, and the latter can end up feeling guilty and ashamed. One person will see themselves as a victim and the other will see themselves as a perpetrator.

Divide and Conquer

Instead of bringing people together, so that they can make the world a better place; this is something that just divides people. The energy that could be used to transform the planet is being wasted.

As a result of this, identity politics can be seen as a great way to distract people and to make them believe that they have very little in common. Yet, if someone is told to focus on what they don't have in common with people who belong to another group, this is to be expected.

An Ulterior Motive

It could be said that there are certain people in this planet who want people to fight amongst themselves. What this does is allow these people to maintain control and to stop their fellow humans being from experiencing heaven on earth.

However, while it would be easy to believe that these kinds of people have all the power that would overlook the part that people play in keeping their power structure alive. With that said, why would someone buy into identity politics?

One Thing

It has been said that human beings have an in-group preference, and this causes people to identify with people who look like them or who have a similar approach to life. This can be seen as something that relates to a human beings primal nature - something that happens without the need for someone to use their brain.

There are likely to be plenty of people who gravitate towards a group because of this, and this could show that they have an aversion to thinking. What is going on for someone at an emotional level is also going to play a part here.

The Oppressed

If someone was to identity with a group that is said to be 'oppressed' by another group, there is the chance that they are not an empowered human being. Their early years may have been a time when they were victimised by others, and this could relate to what their parent/s did.

Being told that they are victims is then going to match up with how they see themselves already. And through seeing themselves in this way, they could have a sense of entitlement, which will make them believe that they deserve to be given special treatment and resources.

The Oppressor

On the other hand, if someone was to identify with a group that is said to 'oppress' others, they could also be a disempowered human being. The beginning of their life might have also been a time when they were treated badly.

Thus, as they already feel guilty and ashamed of who they are, there will be no reason for them to push back against the people who abuse them for belonging to a particular group. This will be what feels comfortable, and the abuse that they receive from others can be no different to how they treat themselves.

An Escape

What someone like this can then do is end up abusing people who are said to belong to a group that oppresses others, with this being a way for then to feel better about themselves. They can believe that they are paying back the debt that they owe to the groups that they are oppressing.

Someone like this is going to lack a strong sense of self and they will also be a self-hating human being. One can make out that they are virtuous for doing this, even though they are only behaving in this manner to manage their own pain.

A Lack of Empathy

Yet, regardless of whether one sees themselves as belonging to a group that is oppressed or oppresses others, they are going to find it hard to connect to truly others. When they see someone, they will either be put into one box or they will be out into another.

This is going to stop them from being able to see that they are an individual; an individual that has their own needs and feelings. Not only this, the reality is that this person is going to have had moments in their life that were good and moments that were not - the group that they supposedly belong to is going to be irrelevant.

Mental Laziness

Being this way has a lot in common with someone who has disconnected from their own issues, so they end up seeing their issues in other people - they are going to be projecting their reality onto everyone else. Ultimately, identity politics stops someone from living in the present moment and causes them to be stuck in their head.

After someone's mind has been infiltrated by this way of viewing the world - and this is something that can probably happen in a few days or less - they won't need to engage their brain. They will have a ready-made way of looking at the world and an answer as to why the world is the way it is.

Conclusion

This is then similar to how someone can do a weekend course in something and then see themselves as an expert. What can be different is that someone can see themselves as being morally superior when they have given their mind over to identity politics.

It has been said that thinking is one of the hardest things to do, with this being the reason why it is often avoided. The trouble is that if one blindly adheres to a certain viewpoint, they can end up doing more harm than good.

Prolific writer, author, and coach, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over one thousand six hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice.

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Article Source: Critical Thinking: Does Identity Politics Stop People From Having To Think For Themselves?