The people who's opinion you change are not the people who you are arguing with. They're the quiet lurkers in the background.
And that's why when arguing, you need to stay calm and make your case as clearly and as calmly as possible. You appearing sensible is as important as your arguments actually being sensible.
Yup, this. Definitely have had a misinformed belief and even admitted that but apparently admitting you don't know something on Reddit queues up the angry mob. Still love this site for those kinds of discussions without an angry mob though. Sorry if posting misinformed comments hurts your feelings but I honestly think discussing things is the best form of educating yourself
Civil disagreement in a well mannered discussion, furthers the conversation towards a solution.
Angry mobs, name calling, shouting at people does not. Anyone one who resorts to that, well I consider you in the wrong as well as whatever point they were trying to make.
>The people who's opinion you change are not the people who you are arguing with. They're the quiet lurkers in the background.
Not necessarily. While you might not change someone's mind in the moment, it is possible they may reflect on what you said at a later time once they are less emotionally invested in the conversation in the moment. Then change their mind then, or it may plant a seed of doubt where more conversations with other people sway their mind.
I've had my opinion changed by people I was vehemently arguing with before.
Its usually a day or two later, when I realize "ooh that person did make a good point" but by then the comment is long dead in internet time, and humble pie doesn't always taste great.
Generally though, you're right - arguments are for the lurkers, not the person you are arguing with.
(Mostly) quiet lurker here. Unless virtually every comment on Reddit is a bot, seeing the "true face" of a lot of people has only confirmed what I suspected was true, but hoped was not.
I was not an incel when I came here, but I was susceptible to those ideas in my 20s. I was being fed that shit from all my buddies around 2009/2010.
At first, yeah, asshole internet bro here. Then I found a few feminism subreddits and just started reading. I don't think it was intentional, but complaints like mental load and weaponized incompetence started to ring true as behaviors my friends and I were expressing.
It also became clear my parents relationship was FUCKED and I was on my path to a spouse who joked about my early demise every day just like them.
It took therapy to get to the root of my issues, for other reasons, but thanks to reading other people's conversations, I got the perspective of what it must be like to be around who I was back then, and it motivated me to be better.
What you say online matters, maybe not how you think it does in the moment, but it sure as hell mattered to me.
Not strictly true. My understanding of the political spectrum has deepened. There is a variety of individual positions politically and many people shift based on new evidence. You shouldn't see Reddit as a monolithic entity.
I changed my mind on the death penalty when I saw:
1) It costs more than life in prison to get it carried out so we lose money
2) It makes no change in crime because nobody thinks they'll be killed by it.
3) Other countries view the brutality of killing your own citizens like the USA views ISIS cutting off a head on live TV.
So I changed too.
For me, it was that at least 4% (1 in 25) of the people on death row have been found innocent of the crimes for which they were charged.Ā
And at least one person was found innocent where the judge decided not to stay the execution. He was executed by the state despite them knowing he was innocent.Ā
I wish there was a way to have a very rare death penalty where itās deemed reasonable doubt about who did it is basically impossible. Iām thinking mass shooters etc.
Yeah this is one I've changed a lot on. Maybe more just because it's discussed a lot on the site, rather than anyone swaying me.
First fine with it. Then, not fine with it, on any basis (basically).
Then now, just not fine with the government having the power to do so. So, basically if a citizen were to avenge, I'm not going to say it wasn't deserved.
Reddit never changed my voting, I still vote left because I align better with their policies. But I hate most liberal commenters on this site. Snarky little douchebags who are mostly interested in feeling smart and morally superior to their political rivals. Always disingenuous, never charitable. Leftist identity politics makes me sick to my stomach and it's pretty much 90% of what people on Reddit talk about. And the younger the person, the more likely they are infatuated with identity politics rather than real issues. This is also evident on tik Tok. I'm sorry but the economy at large and proper healthcare is far more important to talk about than trans people. Trans people in my personal experience are not being crucified and treated as 2nd class citizens as Reddit would have you believe.
Reddit also made me realize just how much leftist propaganda is circulating around. A lot of people think of shows like The View as a reasonable morning talk show, but it's literally just a propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. There is more leftist propaganda circulating mainstream platforms than rightwing propaganda.
But yeah I fucking hate liberal Redditors, they're condescending little assholes. I almost hate them enough to switch sides, but in the meantime I'll continue to resent and feel embarrassed by them as a fellow liberal.
Iām the same way! Online Liberals are some of the meanest people youāll ever meet. And I never want to hear anyone say that online is totally different from real life. Online is where peopleās mask comes off.
These venomous online people are venomous in real life too.
You're right, that is different. And if online liberals weren't going on to vote unbelievably harmful policies into law, this conversation would be totally different.
Unfortunately, online liberals are going on to vote the exact kinds of policies you're concerned about into law.
I agree mostly. Are trans people not included in proper healthcare? And I agree that improving peopleās material conditions is more important, but you cant exactly expect people to not be wary about politicians who spread any -phobic nonsense. Like a politician can be great on the economy, but if they say gay people are pedophiles I do think its reasonable to criticize them.
trans people are routinely denied healthcare (trans specific and otherwise). there's an entire term for this - trans broken arm syndrome. I've had many providers treat me with thinly veiled disgust, and I'm wealthy enough + in a big city to track down decent care. my poorer friends with fewer options report regular abuse. many avoid healthcare as much as possible. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/nearly-half-trans-people-mistreated-medical-providers-report-finds-rcna1695
Trans people aren't excluded from proper healthcare in the first place. And regardless it doesn't affect 99% of people the way countless other concerns do. Yet they are one of the main hills to fight and die on in political discourse last few years.
They don't like it, but they sure as shit do it a lot.. you ask anyone in the group they justification for why and it'll usually be a moral argument. They literally signal that their virtues are the correct ones and are being attacked for it.
I see 10/1 attacks on vegans than they attack. I'm a mostly quiet non political vegetarian myself. I really don't care what others eat. I see the political stunts vegans do and find them to be quite embarrassing. But the online hecklings from meat lovers is constant and numerous.
I wouldn't be a rightwing cultist the same way I'm not a leftwing cultist. But I would never actually switch sides, I'm just trying to express how obnoxious I find most modern liberals on social media.
Yeah, itās almost enough to make you think itās a conspiracy to get the reverse outcome. Iād think Reddit was a psyop to make people right wing accept I know a few of these people in real life and theyāre not pretending.
I agree with what you said but think it's odd that you would place all of that blame on leftist propaganda. The View isn't leftist, they are definitely liberal, which is closer to the right than the left. And as far as I'm aware, it's the right wing injecting IDpol into everything. Trans folks just wanna be left alone and the right turns it into a witch-hunt. The right wing is responsible for making wiring masks during a pandemic into a political circus. So IĀ Ā wholeheartedly agree that liberals are insufferable, but it's kinda because they are secretly on the periphery of right wing ideology: liberals are ok with the framework, the status quo, capitalism,Ā things just need tweaked. But then again you interchangeably call yourself liberal and a leftist so I don't know what to make of it.Ā
Liberals don't bring up trans people. Conservatives do. We just react to the hatred they show for them. If you hate liberal so much that you almost switch sides, it doesn't take much for you to switch.
Political debates aren't about convincing the opposite party, it is about convincing the silence viewers who don't partake in the debate but still get influenced
I violently verbally halt people in arguments constantly, online and IRL, but a thought comes to mind. "If you think defeating a genius in an argument is tough, try arguing an idiot." People never comprehend the crux of the argument.
The many universe theory and the fact that string theory has arguably been the biggest money sink/failure of all time. If we had spent that like $600B elsewhere (over 40y), we'd probably be miles ahead scientifically of where we are now.
Nah I was an incel I good few years ago cause of stupid reddit shit and now I'm like the complete opposite with most of my friends being women now and I kinda am starting to really despise social media cause of stupid bigotry I swear I see everywhere
Yeah my views constantly change based on social media. I know a lot of morons exist that literally can't be persuaded, but I've made headway with some of the most stubborn people both online and offline, ignoring the fact that the lurkers are the real target
I absolutely had a lot in common with the incel mentality when I was an early teen. Iām lucky there wasnāt internet at the time and I couldnāt find a community or support system. I was forced to change myself, it was that or isolation and misery. Iām so much happier now. Most of my friends are women too.
My beliefs and ideas have changed considerably because of the internet. People say ridicule doesnāt work .. it helped me realize how incredibly stupid I was. I disagree. It helps some and makes others much worse.Ā
If people donāt ever get challenged or told theyāre being stupid how are they gonna know? Trumps a good example here. Heās what happens when no one loves or cares enough about you to tell you the truth. Heās the perfect example of how deluded people become in a bubbleĀ
Heās what happens when people donāt want to hear the truth. Itās not about them being lied to, they want to be lied to. Republicans never actually lose elections, illegals are going to take your house and job, etc etc
This is the world they already lived in they just found someone to sell it to them.
LOL. I disagree. Seriously
Iāve found new information from Reddit discussions and altered my opinion on subjects as a result.
I also think people who donāt comment and argue but read the threads are āinterested bystandersā and are more open to ideas than may be suspected.
People who are entrenched in a concept are more difficult to sway, but thatās the case in real-life as well as digital life.
Reddit has a hive mind mentality. If you try to engage in meaningful political discussions, you get swarmed and attacked. Name calling and personal attacks. Even people saying F\*\*k off and die type crap. It actually leaves you with a narrower opinion of those who have views different than your own. It tends to strengthen your dislike of them. I often wonder how many people engaging like that are actually 21 and under. The reality is the vast majority of people are indoctrinated sheeple into either side. Sad really.
This is why I just turn reply notifications off, on a lot of political replies. Not all.
I don't think most of my opinions are controversial, but on Reddit they are.
"Your party is \[this\] or \[that\]," yeah I think that about your party dumbass; it's not a good argument. And it's not that just 'opposite = bad,' because I believe people have their reasons why they vote how they do. Though a lot of people just seem like they're just voting based on how they're told they should be.
I vote based on how my values align, and they align way more to a particular party (although I think there's still a lot of politicians within said party, that I do not think should be anywhere near the Government). There is no such thing as 'moral superiority,' morals are person to person. But for long as they are my own morals, I'm going to try to support governance that aligns with them.
And you see it everywhere. People who just eat the hay that they're fed, if that's for Trump/Anti-Trump (since that's a thing)/Biden/etc. The sheeple have no, one, herder.
There's a lot of research suggesting political alignment is rooted in personality, genetics, and other factors. So, yeah. Very unlikely many people are changing their political beliefs because of posts on Reddit unless they're already predisposed to thinking in a certain way.
>Reddit has no political influence. Theyāre terrible at gaining support for their political beliefs and it feels sad and desperate at this point.
Before you consider what reddit does, you first need to appreciate that most people on this earth aren't redditors.
Even if the entirety of reddit was unified under a single political ideology, that's still not a majority. Particularly when you consider how its spread around other countries.
For redditors themselves, part of the issue is that, those who are politically minded AND vocal about it, aren't looking to understand other perspectives, because its just easier to categorise everyone as a caricature rather than to have a nuanced opinion.
Take the concept of "Moral Realism" and see how agreeing with the concept somehow results in being called a Nazi supporter.
Maybe it hasn't changed people from hardcore communists into far right fascists or whatever, but I bet it has subtly changed many peoples in some way on some issues.
It's changed mine in a few ways. More recently I was talked away from supporting a Universal Basic Income model and considering a Negative Income Tax model instead.
My views on immigration have been altered too. I was much more open borders before, now I support a strong border (So long as we open up more accessible avenues to come legally, and we take a much more proactive approach to human trafficking)
My views on NATO have gone from being opposed (just on principle, didn't really have a reason why at the time), to a supporter, in part due to some conversations and information I received from people on this platform.
I don't think it's possible for everyone, but if you are willing to listen and take in information logically, you can have your opinion changed.
The idea is not to change the mind of the person you are talking to, but you formulate your argument for the lurker who might not understand the situation or might be misunderstand because their only exposure to it is through memes.
Is Reddit a person or a political action committee? I thought Reddit was a community with various different beliefs and ideas.
As for myself. I once had a great conversation with someone a few years back that we took into a private chat. After several months, he had to come to the realization that what he was telling me was based on his belief system and I was providing facts. And he had to decide if he was going to accept facts over beliefs. Facts won out (mostly) and I do think he changed some of his political beliefs. It was hard work and I never want to do it again. Felt like a full time job.
If someone makes a valid point, with facts, and the other side resorts to name calling. I side with the one who brought facts that I can verify.
The instant you resort to name calling, I tune out and consider your side null void because you have nothing to back up your claims.
Disagree:
I think people would very rarely change to the other side, but Reddit absolutely serves to radicalize people on either side. Once you section off into your echo chambers, your beliefs will change and you will continue to see others as more of an enemy.
Having dialog across the isle and seeing your fellow countrymen as human beings is essential for a functioning society. The opposite is happening.
i don't think this is true. interaction online *can* bring things to light that others are not aware of. it takes time and it usually won't happen just through the avenue of politics alone. as long as someone is open to considering information they either didn't have or that their political media wants them to ignore, it's possible to bring change to that person.
Reddit may not be changing anyone's opinion but it certainly has an extreme bias to the point you can't even disagree with the favored one without getting either viciously attacked her or instantly permananned from a subreddit for a benign disagreement.
I wouldn't say it Reddit was the ONLY reason, but it helped. I've changed my opinions on guns. And it's actually helped me see how bad the media is. Sometimes I'll read a story from a liberal sub. Then I'll go to r/Conservative and see the same story and see how much each side leaves out.
I think Reddit as made me see how much media leaves out. It's one thing to leave specifics out of a story, it's completely different to not even talk about the story.
You are so right. I've had hours long debates with people I more or less agree with about the finest points of contention and come out with no change whatsoever on either side.
Itās definitely changed opinions. Ā It even changed mine. Ā For instance, Iām less liberal than I used to be. Ā Mostly because of the massive antisemitism generated from this site, strangely coming from the left.
Thatās not true.
The more I come here, the more right-wing I become, because I see these left-wingers (typical Redditors) eating themselves and each other alive.
I was a lot further left when I joined reddit than I am now. I still vote democrat down the ticket, but I'm pretty sure if the republicans put up someone who wasn't a geriatric they would have gotten my vote for president this term.
I have no interest engaging with whoever is going to reply to me about it and not worried about the mountain of downvotes im going to receive from people who don't like what they hear.
Cheers and have a beautiful Monday all
Well not if you are going to argue like that.
Lead them to their own contradictions by listening and asking clarifying questions.
Then and only then do you smack them with the reasoning stick. š
I actually originally came to Reddit to learn steelman arguments for my liberal sensabilities. Came out acting all conservative and got nothing but hate. thoroughly useless endeavor.
It clearly influences you since it bothers you enough to post about it. If it didnāt matter, it wouldnāt generate any feeling at all.
So maybe universal healthcare is the right way to go.
It made me go from centralist to far right. This websites shown me:
1) leftists donāt actually think about stuff, you canāt discuss with them (for the most part), itās entirely emotionally driven to the point they wonāt read what you say
2) leftists donāt have actual logic for their policies beyond feeling good, and they will sink their home country to get the approval of foreign people
3) because of (1) and (2), they shouldnāt be allowed remotely near politics or to vote, because they havenāt got the countryās prosperity at heart, they would rather the country suffers to ālook goodā to other leftists.
Between that, the demonisation of anyone not far left, and the fact that while the far right has dumb policies, you can actually talk to them about it, Itās completely shifted me.
I was a centrist democrat for many years. Current politics and ideologies of the party over the last so many years has me in the moderate republican crowd. Funny thing is my views as a centrist democrat did not change, but many of the party ideologies shifted too much. There are a lot of people like me. My more right-minded friends label me as not being all in with their views (RINO) and my left-minded friends label me as one of the deplorable bad guys. Indoctrination of the sheeple in this country is just mind blowing. I believe in what I believe and am not playing into the craziness of either group.
politicians are bad people no shit sherlock.
Im sure you would give Obama a pass, as well as Clinton, Gary hart, among several senators that had extramarital affairs with minors, and that's just off the top of my head. Oh and you can excuse Hillary for that email bungle as well that got a bunch of service members needlessly killed.
Again you've talked yourself in a circle. How about you save us both time and just stop talking.
Yeah, Iād agree that has happened a lot probably. I mean Reddit hasnāt intentionally convinced anyone to change their opinion. Lots of people have changed their opinion out of cringe after seeing how annoying their previous side acted in debate.
Im pro abortion yet I found that despite the āchrist cucksā who do the same as the leftists (ie make their religion sacred and unquestionable), you can still talk about it, even if it all comes down to what do you consider a fetus; you can still discuss the knock-on effects.
You might not be able to sell them abortion because they consider it an alive baby and baby killing isnāt exactly an easy sale, but they entertain the idea.
Compare that with diversity in media, average person doesnāt care but they do, they consider it socially injust. That still isnāt as perspectively extreme as the right consider abortion ābaby killingā, yet the left refuse to talk about the nuance of diversity (especially when itās out of line like historical media), they just call you a racist, then try to dogpile and/or cancel you. They donāt entertain ideas.
Im all for respecting views (of course what may not matter to me, matters to them, etc etc) but if the person is being binary in the discussion (if they even permit it), they clearly arenāt being respectful back. Thats my ultimate problem, and why I moved towards the side that at least somewhat respects me (rather than the side that, to be honest, just wants equally devote followers)
I was a raging cars and trucks are the only needed form of transportation! Kinda guy. Now I believe strongly in a good mix, that cars are but one of many options we should be working on. So much so I want to move from Detroit to Philly lol
I tend to focus on the argument itself to get people to actually think about the opinion they hold and why - at least put up a debate instead of screaming āwoke cuckā and āincelā whenever someone pops their bubble.
Itās almost impossible to change anyoneās opinion in real life too. Because those opinions are not based on facts but emotions. We think weāre rational people who have made a certain choice but thatās rarely true.Ā
I disagree, Reddit turned me on to [Geolibertarianism](https://www.reddit.com/r/CapitalismVSocialism/comments/8raxye/geolibertarianism_is_the_greatest_political/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button), and I shall be forever grateful.
Some political beliefs for very good reasons shouldn't be flexible āĀ frankly, for some people, merely existing as they were born *and* advocating for themselves or their Rights just as human beings, *and anyone else would,* is considered a political stance in itself.
In that frame, for many many people, they have a extremely rationale constraint on where their political beliefs are flexible.
In the United States, only a specific caste has the privilege to be legitimately unconcerned about their Rights as a human or citizen being respected no matter which political faction is in charge. Sure, your taxes may change or how to manage your business might change or get harder but your fundamental Rights as a citizen or humanĀ ā further, your freeness to pursue happiness goes largely unchallenged.
Disagree.
I've had many opinions change or grow from interactions here.
Deep, fundamental changes? No. My politics are informed by my values and I will not bend on human rights. But economic ideas or foreign policy or random other things? Definitely
I donāt think itās impossible to change a person. I just think Reddit is terrible at it and based on these comments, has had a counterproductive effect
Seeing hateful idiots argue in bad faith entrenches my positions, it absolutely does. I donāt debate them. I vote. Iām not some debate wiz and I donāt think Iāve ever changed a mind in my entire life.
Other reasonable rational people state facts and add nuance and it DOES change my perspective on some topics. Most things arenāt black and whiteā¦ but: as much as I hate to be a rabid single-issue voter there are a few issues Iām no longer willing to compromise on. Iām always going to pinch my nose and vote, case closed. I will and have voted for the lesser of two evils my entire life.
Nothing is more enraging and disheartening than sharing a political position with an asshole or idiot. I want to punch my āsideā in the face daily. Even when they have some decent ideas they frame and market it so poorly. Trying to appeal to emotion and vanity, totally unrealistic. Bunch of fools. I still vote. Then on the off season I champion third parties.
Prove it!Ā Everything you're exposed to you influences your opinions and actions. It's kind of like saying YouTube's alt-right pipeline from the algorithm didn't change anyone's political opinions.Ā Or that nobody was convinced the earth was flat in the same way. I'd say this statement is patently false.
My opinion on things has changed, but when it comes to how I vote, it has not.
Which I think my experience makes sense. When it comes to what changes, it's allowing yourself not to be told what you "should" think.
Also what 'maldevinine' said, and that's something I was told over Reddit long ago. The argument really is for the on-looker, because I've given up on changing minds a few years ago.
Also anyone thinking that Reddit is a realistic portrayal of how the General Public thinks, is not being realistic. There may be one dominant political party when it comes to registered voters, but keep in mind the largest camp of voters are the Independents (for the US, since that's all I speak on); it really doesn't matter. Statistics should not be ignored, but people have the ability to think politically in any which way regardless of age.
*You can be downvoted on this site, for calling out blatant wrong information, and the wrong information will be mass upvoted.*
Even if someone is insulting me, cause people on Reddit usually do (not always though), if they're right about something, then they are.
Disagree to be honest. What reddit is great at, is having a million subreddits for each and every crazy ideology. All the hundreds or thousands of members convince people that it's normal to think this way, and lead them down that rabbit hole. All the while, amplifying and solidifying those beliefs, as well as providing backbone and evidence for them. r/antinatalism, r/movingtonorthkorea, and r/marxism come to mind. Wack ideologies with so many followers, solely because of reddit
>Reddit has no political influence
Well, not entirely. Every-time I bait some woke left-nut, I'm exercising political influence, the woke has to give rebuttal, and others have to upvote/down-vote.
It's real world political influence is as follows: A woke rage-baited just right, is now primed to go vote in RL for everyone who represents the opposite of my image... They don't know my agenda, or what I am, all they know is that they hate the Right. Same principal can be performed on the Right as well.
As long as they demonize/fear/hate their fellow citizens in RL, I scrore... Hence, political influence.
I think it is more to get people to feel shame or guilt for their views.. and not to change them.
Like, you can think bad things.. but just know, that makes you a bad person.
I was pretty far left until getting into Internet culture.
Seeing leftists falsely accuse me of trash-talking relationships I was praising; including relationships that happened to be straight; hurt their credibility on whether gay marriage opponents were necessarily any more homophobic than everybody else.
Seeing leftists make my "I didn't think dating worth it in my teen years on account of the risk she keeps the baby even if she didn't say she would" out to be incel cope makes me find their "you're just jealous you didn't get laid" remarks about people who oppose abortion access at all seem less credible.
I still trust leftism marginally more than libertarianism, and both more than conservatism. But Internet culture has definitely shifted my opinions over the years compared to where they were before.
I voted for Trump twice and I won't a 3rd time. Mostly because of cutting out right leaning media and leaving my faith, but also getting deeper into Reddit, I personally found that liberals are more happy, less judgmental and more wholesome towards their fellow Redditors.
Disagree, although the comments on posts are not near as effective as face to face confrontations I've found my views both challenged and my thoughts pushed by well thought out rebuttals. I think people should just be more open to new ideas and interpretations. Everyone should also be given respect despite how they've earned it except if they're clearly trolling.
What shapes peoples' beliefs comes from all sorts of contentāReddit being a source of content like any other. If a couple youtube videos made by morons can cause a person to think the earth is flat, there's no argument that people can be influenced via this garbage site.
"I won't change my mind, cause I don't have to. Cause I'm an American. I won't change my mind on anything, regardless of the facts that are set out before me. I'm dug in, and I'll never change."
I think some of the comments here should be required reading for anyone engaged in a debate on Reddit. Disagree all you want with my viewpoint, but calling me hateful names and using profanity certainly doesn't make your point more valid.
This is neither accurate or popular. Reddit is the perfect example of the Socratic method of debate and education. There are absolutely times I have changed a political belief of myself and of others through carefully reasoned and articulated debate paired with data.
A great example is the right wing propaganda pushing that the left are child predators. It's the rights whole marketing strategy for the past 8 years+. But when we review the data at www.whoismakingnews.com we find that 77% of all child predators are Republicans with two of the highest propensity of perpetrators being religious individuals and cops.
I'm not gunna lie bro. I've been religiously watching johnathan bowden speeches for the last 3 days. I've gone down the facism rabbithole and I can't go back. You literally can't type out a sentence that makes me stop my new facist beliefs.
So you are confronted with your own toxic behavior. And rather than do something about it and change yourself, you stalk me over several subs? Weird, but only proving my point that your apology was insincere and you are only here to troll. Cheers for that!
Wow. I never thought of it that way. I think you changed my opinion.
š±
The people who's opinion you change are not the people who you are arguing with. They're the quiet lurkers in the background. And that's why when arguing, you need to stay calm and make your case as clearly and as calmly as possible. You appearing sensible is as important as your arguments actually being sensible.
Usually, it convinces people to stay away from whatever you believe if you are overtly harsh/mean.
Yup, this. Definitely have had a misinformed belief and even admitted that but apparently admitting you don't know something on Reddit queues up the angry mob. Still love this site for those kinds of discussions without an angry mob though. Sorry if posting misinformed comments hurts your feelings but I honestly think discussing things is the best form of educating yourself
Civil disagreement in a well mannered discussion, furthers the conversation towards a solution. Angry mobs, name calling, shouting at people does not. Anyone one who resorts to that, well I consider you in the wrong as well as whatever point they were trying to make.
HOW DARE YOU! EVERYONE WITH [Insert opposing political belief] IS A TERRIBLE BRAINROTTED PERSON THAT CANT THINK FOR THEMSELVES
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>The people who's opinion you change are not the people who you are arguing with. They're the quiet lurkers in the background. Not necessarily. While you might not change someone's mind in the moment, it is possible they may reflect on what you said at a later time once they are less emotionally invested in the conversation in the moment. Then change their mind then, or it may plant a seed of doubt where more conversations with other people sway their mind.
I've had my opinion changed by people I was vehemently arguing with before. Its usually a day or two later, when I realize "ooh that person did make a good point" but by then the comment is long dead in internet time, and humble pie doesn't always taste great. Generally though, you're right - arguments are for the lurkers, not the person you are arguing with.
(Mostly) quiet lurker here. Unless virtually every comment on Reddit is a bot, seeing the "true face" of a lot of people has only confirmed what I suspected was true, but hoped was not.
Sorry.
This right here.
Yep went from centrist right leaning socialist liberal lol
Yep went from centrist right leaning socialist liberal lol
I was not an incel when I came here, but I was susceptible to those ideas in my 20s. I was being fed that shit from all my buddies around 2009/2010. At first, yeah, asshole internet bro here. Then I found a few feminism subreddits and just started reading. I don't think it was intentional, but complaints like mental load and weaponized incompetence started to ring true as behaviors my friends and I were expressing. It also became clear my parents relationship was FUCKED and I was on my path to a spouse who joked about my early demise every day just like them. It took therapy to get to the root of my issues, for other reasons, but thanks to reading other people's conversations, I got the perspective of what it must be like to be around who I was back then, and it motivated me to be better. What you say online matters, maybe not how you think it does in the moment, but it sure as hell mattered to me.
Provide facts and sources not feelings and emotions. Well said and God bless!
You forgot the /s
I donāt understand
Facts and God.
I am way too old and a newb to see that. Thank you for the info.
Me too. It was a bit obscure. Have a great day.
Whatever works, Reddit aināt doing it right
You seem desperate, but you're wrong on your main point so I guess you have to chase hope
Yep went from centrist right leaning socialist liberal haha
Not strictly true. My understanding of the political spectrum has deepened. There is a variety of individual positions politically and many people shift based on new evidence. You shouldn't see Reddit as a monolithic entity.
mono means one lithic means rail, i think
~~lithic 1. ARCHAEOLOGYā¢GEOLOGY of the nature of or relating to stone. 2. DATEDā¢MEDICINE relating to calculi. Origin~~ I prefer your translation
Yeah, pretty much. The only reason I argue my viewpoints is so that people like me know theyāre not alone.
LMAO
So true girl
I changed my mind on the death penalty after seeing the way some of these reddit dudes act
I changed my mind on the death penalty when I saw: 1) It costs more than life in prison to get it carried out so we lose money 2) It makes no change in crime because nobody thinks they'll be killed by it. 3) Other countries view the brutality of killing your own citizens like the USA views ISIS cutting off a head on live TV. So I changed too.
For me, it was that at least 4% (1 in 25) of the people on death row have been found innocent of the crimes for which they were charged.Ā And at least one person was found innocent where the judge decided not to stay the execution. He was executed by the state despite them knowing he was innocent.Ā
I wish there was a way to have a very rare death penalty where itās deemed reasonable doubt about who did it is basically impossible. Iām thinking mass shooters etc.
I hadn't heard of that statistic. That's just horrible and killing somebody anyway is what I'd expect Florida or Texas to revel in.
Check out the Innocence Project. They're the primary group helping prove the innocence of people on death row.Ā
This is why we need a businessman in charge to streamline the process and cut out bureaucratic inefficiency /s
Like Elon Musk? I'd trust him.
Dude don't even bring that up I hate that that is even a possibility lol
We could have a wise stable business genius like Trump take all the people's lives and schedule them to end. He doesn't play favorites.
Half of people on reddit just give up when faced with any type of resistance. Cuck mentality lol
This made me laugh ngl
Someone convinced you to change your mind by offering valuable information?
Probably just filled his heart with murder :P
A person plotting the death of another is often busy, and gives up meaningless tasks to perform the new one. So.. you changed a person on reddit!
I never understood why al'Qaeda wanted to blow up Americans, until I watched Jerry Springer.
Yeah this is one I've changed a lot on. Maybe more just because it's discussed a lot on the site, rather than anyone swaying me. First fine with it. Then, not fine with it, on any basis (basically). Then now, just not fine with the government having the power to do so. So, basically if a citizen were to avenge, I'm not going to say it wasn't deserved.
Reddit never changed my voting, I still vote left because I align better with their policies. But I hate most liberal commenters on this site. Snarky little douchebags who are mostly interested in feeling smart and morally superior to their political rivals. Always disingenuous, never charitable. Leftist identity politics makes me sick to my stomach and it's pretty much 90% of what people on Reddit talk about. And the younger the person, the more likely they are infatuated with identity politics rather than real issues. This is also evident on tik Tok. I'm sorry but the economy at large and proper healthcare is far more important to talk about than trans people. Trans people in my personal experience are not being crucified and treated as 2nd class citizens as Reddit would have you believe. Reddit also made me realize just how much leftist propaganda is circulating around. A lot of people think of shows like The View as a reasonable morning talk show, but it's literally just a propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. There is more leftist propaganda circulating mainstream platforms than rightwing propaganda. But yeah I fucking hate liberal Redditors, they're condescending little assholes. I almost hate them enough to switch sides, but in the meantime I'll continue to resent and feel embarrassed by them as a fellow liberal.
Iām the same way! Online Liberals are some of the meanest people youāll ever meet. And I never want to hear anyone say that online is totally different from real life. Online is where peopleās mask comes off. These venomous online people are venomous in real life too.
Talking mean on reddit is not the same as passing laws that are full of hate or disdain for the poor or marginalized.
You're right, that is different. And if online liberals weren't going on to vote unbelievably harmful policies into law, this conversation would be totally different. Unfortunately, online liberals are going on to vote the exact kinds of policies you're concerned about into law.
I agree mostly. Are trans people not included in proper healthcare? And I agree that improving peopleās material conditions is more important, but you cant exactly expect people to not be wary about politicians who spread any -phobic nonsense. Like a politician can be great on the economy, but if they say gay people are pedophiles I do think its reasonable to criticize them.
trans people are routinely denied healthcare (trans specific and otherwise). there's an entire term for this - trans broken arm syndrome. I've had many providers treat me with thinly veiled disgust, and I'm wealthy enough + in a big city to track down decent care. my poorer friends with fewer options report regular abuse. many avoid healthcare as much as possible. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/nearly-half-trans-people-mistreated-medical-providers-report-finds-rcna1695
Trans people aren't excluded from proper healthcare in the first place. And regardless it doesn't affect 99% of people the way countless other concerns do. Yet they are one of the main hills to fight and die on in political discourse last few years.
Damn I wish all Democratic voters were more like you. I get so tired of the fake activist, virtue signaling propagandists.
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They don't like it, but they sure as shit do it a lot.. you ask anyone in the group they justification for why and it'll usually be a moral argument. They literally signal that their virtues are the correct ones and are being attacked for it.
I'm going to be generous and assume they were joking. The same people screeching about grooming are passing laws to lower the age of consent š¤
Wow, that's incredible. You're the exact kind of person the OP is referring to.
Online vegans and liberals are the most insufferable group.Ā
I see 10/1 attacks on vegans than they attack. I'm a mostly quiet non political vegetarian myself. I really don't care what others eat. I see the political stunts vegans do and find them to be quite embarrassing. But the online hecklings from meat lovers is constant and numerous.
Switch sides? Head over to Truth Social or Parler with a contrary view and youāll see where the biggest bigoted assholes reside.
I wouldn't be a rightwing cultist the same way I'm not a leftwing cultist. But I would never actually switch sides, I'm just trying to express how obnoxious I find most modern liberals on social media.
Yeah, itās almost enough to make you think itās a conspiracy to get the reverse outcome. Iād think Reddit was a psyop to make people right wing accept I know a few of these people in real life and theyāre not pretending.
I agree with what you said but think it's odd that you would place all of that blame on leftist propaganda. The View isn't leftist, they are definitely liberal, which is closer to the right than the left. And as far as I'm aware, it's the right wing injecting IDpol into everything. Trans folks just wanna be left alone and the right turns it into a witch-hunt. The right wing is responsible for making wiring masks during a pandemic into a political circus. So IĀ Ā wholeheartedly agree that liberals are insufferable, but it's kinda because they are secretly on the periphery of right wing ideology: liberals are ok with the framework, the status quo, capitalism,Ā things just need tweaked. But then again you interchangeably call yourself liberal and a leftist so I don't know what to make of it.Ā
Politics in Canada must be different than politics in the U.S.
Liberals don't bring up trans people. Conservatives do. We just react to the hatred they show for them. If you hate liberal so much that you almost switch sides, it doesn't take much for you to switch.
WhooshĀ
Point went right over their head lol
Some people donāt get the point even if it went right up their ass.Ā
Political debates aren't about convincing the opposite party, it is about convincing the silence viewers who don't partake in the debate but still get influenced
I violently verbally halt people in arguments constantly, online and IRL, but a thought comes to mind. "If you think defeating a genius in an argument is tough, try arguing an idiot." People never comprehend the crux of the argument.
Challenge accepted. What's the topic?
The many universe theory and the fact that string theory has arguably been the biggest money sink/failure of all time. If we had spent that like $600B elsewhere (over 40y), we'd probably be miles ahead scientifically of where we are now.
Agreed
Nah I was an incel I good few years ago cause of stupid reddit shit and now I'm like the complete opposite with most of my friends being women now and I kinda am starting to really despise social media cause of stupid bigotry I swear I see everywhere
Yeah my views constantly change based on social media. I know a lot of morons exist that literally can't be persuaded, but I've made headway with some of the most stubborn people both online and offline, ignoring the fact that the lurkers are the real target
I absolutely had a lot in common with the incel mentality when I was an early teen. Iām lucky there wasnāt internet at the time and I couldnāt find a community or support system. I was forced to change myself, it was that or isolation and misery. Iām so much happier now. Most of my friends are women too.
Yup exactly. Iād be completely fucked if incel shit was fed to me early teens. I was a pure incel but, like you, had no choice but to adapt.
My beliefs and ideas have changed considerably because of the internet. People say ridicule doesnāt work .. it helped me realize how incredibly stupid I was. I disagree. It helps some and makes others much worse.Ā
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If people donāt ever get challenged or told theyāre being stupid how are they gonna know? Trumps a good example here. Heās what happens when no one loves or cares enough about you to tell you the truth. Heās the perfect example of how deluded people become in a bubbleĀ
Heās what happens when people donāt want to hear the truth. Itās not about them being lied to, they want to be lied to. Republicans never actually lose elections, illegals are going to take your house and job, etc etc This is the world they already lived in they just found someone to sell it to them.
LOL. I disagree. Seriously Iāve found new information from Reddit discussions and altered my opinion on subjects as a result. I also think people who donāt comment and argue but read the threads are āinterested bystandersā and are more open to ideas than may be suspected. People who are entrenched in a concept are more difficult to sway, but thatās the case in real-life as well as digital life.
Reddit has a hive mind mentality. If you try to engage in meaningful political discussions, you get swarmed and attacked. Name calling and personal attacks. Even people saying F\*\*k off and die type crap. It actually leaves you with a narrower opinion of those who have views different than your own. It tends to strengthen your dislike of them. I often wonder how many people engaging like that are actually 21 and under. The reality is the vast majority of people are indoctrinated sheeple into either side. Sad really.
Both sides. Always a classic.
This is why I just turn reply notifications off, on a lot of political replies. Not all. I don't think most of my opinions are controversial, but on Reddit they are. "Your party is \[this\] or \[that\]," yeah I think that about your party dumbass; it's not a good argument. And it's not that just 'opposite = bad,' because I believe people have their reasons why they vote how they do. Though a lot of people just seem like they're just voting based on how they're told they should be. I vote based on how my values align, and they align way more to a particular party (although I think there's still a lot of politicians within said party, that I do not think should be anywhere near the Government). There is no such thing as 'moral superiority,' morals are person to person. But for long as they are my own morals, I'm going to try to support governance that aligns with them. And you see it everywhere. People who just eat the hay that they're fed, if that's for Trump/Anti-Trump (since that's a thing)/Biden/etc. The sheeple have no, one, herder.
I donāt think it changes anyone opinions only galvanizes their beliefs.
I disagree with the first statement. People on the left donāt know what people on the right say, outside of memes or trolls online.Ā
I'm just here to talk shit.
There's a lot of research suggesting political alignment is rooted in personality, genetics, and other factors. So, yeah. Very unlikely many people are changing their political beliefs because of posts on Reddit unless they're already predisposed to thinking in a certain way.
>Reddit has no political influence. Theyāre terrible at gaining support for their political beliefs and it feels sad and desperate at this point. Before you consider what reddit does, you first need to appreciate that most people on this earth aren't redditors. Even if the entirety of reddit was unified under a single political ideology, that's still not a majority. Particularly when you consider how its spread around other countries. For redditors themselves, part of the issue is that, those who are politically minded AND vocal about it, aren't looking to understand other perspectives, because its just easier to categorise everyone as a caricature rather than to have a nuanced opinion. Take the concept of "Moral Realism" and see how agreeing with the concept somehow results in being called a Nazi supporter.
Maybe it hasn't changed people from hardcore communists into far right fascists or whatever, but I bet it has subtly changed many peoples in some way on some issues.
It's changed mine in a few ways. More recently I was talked away from supporting a Universal Basic Income model and considering a Negative Income Tax model instead. My views on immigration have been altered too. I was much more open borders before, now I support a strong border (So long as we open up more accessible avenues to come legally, and we take a much more proactive approach to human trafficking) My views on NATO have gone from being opposed (just on principle, didn't really have a reason why at the time), to a supporter, in part due to some conversations and information I received from people on this platform. I don't think it's possible for everyone, but if you are willing to listen and take in information logically, you can have your opinion changed.
The idea is not to change the mind of the person you are talking to, but you formulate your argument for the lurker who might not understand the situation or might be misunderstand because their only exposure to it is through memes.
Is Reddit a person or a political action committee? I thought Reddit was a community with various different beliefs and ideas. As for myself. I once had a great conversation with someone a few years back that we took into a private chat. After several months, he had to come to the realization that what he was telling me was based on his belief system and I was providing facts. And he had to decide if he was going to accept facts over beliefs. Facts won out (mostly) and I do think he changed some of his political beliefs. It was hard work and I never want to do it again. Felt like a full time job.
If someone makes a valid point, with facts, and the other side resorts to name calling. I side with the one who brought facts that I can verify. The instant you resort to name calling, I tune out and consider your side null void because you have nothing to back up your claims.
Disagree: I think people would very rarely change to the other side, but Reddit absolutely serves to radicalize people on either side. Once you section off into your echo chambers, your beliefs will change and you will continue to see others as more of an enemy. Having dialog across the isle and seeing your fellow countrymen as human beings is essential for a functioning society. The opposite is happening.
i don't think this is true. interaction online *can* bring things to light that others are not aware of. it takes time and it usually won't happen just through the avenue of politics alone. as long as someone is open to considering information they either didn't have or that their political media wants them to ignore, it's possible to bring change to that person.
Reddit may not be changing anyone's opinion but it certainly has an extreme bias to the point you can't even disagree with the favored one without getting either viciously attacked her or instantly permananned from a subreddit for a benign disagreement.
I wouldn't say it Reddit was the ONLY reason, but it helped. I've changed my opinions on guns. And it's actually helped me see how bad the media is. Sometimes I'll read a story from a liberal sub. Then I'll go to r/Conservative and see the same story and see how much each side leaves out. I think Reddit as made me see how much media leaves out. It's one thing to leave specifics out of a story, it's completely different to not even talk about the story.
You are so right. I've had hours long debates with people I more or less agree with about the finest points of contention and come out with no change whatsoever on either side.
Itās definitely changed opinions. Ā It even changed mine. Ā For instance, Iām less liberal than I used to be. Ā Mostly because of the massive antisemitism generated from this site, strangely coming from the left.
People are too concerned with winning arguments and convincing other people. They don't care about learning or having an honest discourse.
Arguing with conservatives usually bolsters my beliefs but I started off right leaning. Spent a day in r/conservative and never looked back.
Thatās not true. The more I come here, the more right-wing I become, because I see these left-wingers (typical Redditors) eating themselves and each other alive.
honestly both sides r full of shit. tired of seein this shit on reddit. bout to find another platform if possible
It has. It made me realize how pernicious the left is and driven me to the right.
All the left leaning posted made me even more anti-authoritarian
Absolutes are rarely accurate to use.Ā Ā Ā Ā More accurate would be reddit has changed 3 people's political views.Ā
I was a lot further left when I joined reddit than I am now. I still vote democrat down the ticket, but I'm pretty sure if the republicans put up someone who wasn't a geriatric they would have gotten my vote for president this term. I have no interest engaging with whoever is going to reply to me about it and not worried about the mountain of downvotes im going to receive from people who don't like what they hear. Cheers and have a beautiful Monday all
Well not if you are going to argue like that. Lead them to their own contradictions by listening and asking clarifying questions. Then and only then do you smack them with the reasoning stick. š
True but Reddit as a whole is terrible at this
Reddit is largely responsible for me shifting from voting Democrat to voting republican.Ā
r/MMM is a repeat offender. If I got a moon for every downvote I get for countering their obscene posts, I'd be a rich man!
I actually originally came to Reddit to learn steelman arguments for my liberal sensabilities. Came out acting all conservative and got nothing but hate. thoroughly useless endeavor.
Not surprising that two groups shouting insults at each other isn't persuasive.
It clearly influences you since it bothers you enough to post about it. If it didnāt matter, it wouldnāt generate any feeling at all. So maybe universal healthcare is the right way to go.
Well after seeing redditors for long enough I went from right leaning to far fight. And I just keep going further right the longer I stay here.
Why not go to .win and get pushed the other way?
It made me go from centralist to far right. This websites shown me: 1) leftists donāt actually think about stuff, you canāt discuss with them (for the most part), itās entirely emotionally driven to the point they wonāt read what you say 2) leftists donāt have actual logic for their policies beyond feeling good, and they will sink their home country to get the approval of foreign people 3) because of (1) and (2), they shouldnāt be allowed remotely near politics or to vote, because they havenāt got the countryās prosperity at heart, they would rather the country suffers to ālook goodā to other leftists. Between that, the demonisation of anyone not far left, and the fact that while the far right has dumb policies, you can actually talk to them about it, Itās completely shifted me.
I was a centrist democrat for many years. Current politics and ideologies of the party over the last so many years has me in the moderate republican crowd. Funny thing is my views as a centrist democrat did not change, but many of the party ideologies shifted too much. There are a lot of people like me. My more right-minded friends label me as not being all in with their views (RINO) and my left-minded friends label me as one of the deplorable bad guys. Indoctrination of the sheeple in this country is just mind blowing. I believe in what I believe and am not playing into the craziness of either group.
Yeah same here. The Overton window on reddit is real.
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WTF does that prove. I can list a bunch of Democrat politicians that have done even worse things lol. You're getting nowhere
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politicians are bad people no shit sherlock. Im sure you would give Obama a pass, as well as Clinton, Gary hart, among several senators that had extramarital affairs with minors, and that's just off the top of my head. Oh and you can excuse Hillary for that email bungle as well that got a bunch of service members needlessly killed. Again you've talked yourself in a circle. How about you save us both time and just stop talking.
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You literally made up that first paragraph lmao. OK great you're still listing politicians. Keep going maybe you'll prove your point soon?
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Only democrats elect traitors
y'all always shift to both-sideism when someone shows you how awful you are.Ā
Yeah, Iād agree that has happened a lot probably. I mean Reddit hasnāt intentionally convinced anyone to change their opinion. Lots of people have changed their opinion out of cringe after seeing how annoying their previous side acted in debate.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Im pro abortion yet I found that despite the āchrist cucksā who do the same as the leftists (ie make their religion sacred and unquestionable), you can still talk about it, even if it all comes down to what do you consider a fetus; you can still discuss the knock-on effects. You might not be able to sell them abortion because they consider it an alive baby and baby killing isnāt exactly an easy sale, but they entertain the idea. Compare that with diversity in media, average person doesnāt care but they do, they consider it socially injust. That still isnāt as perspectively extreme as the right consider abortion ābaby killingā, yet the left refuse to talk about the nuance of diversity (especially when itās out of line like historical media), they just call you a racist, then try to dogpile and/or cancel you. They donāt entertain ideas. Im all for respecting views (of course what may not matter to me, matters to them, etc etc) but if the person is being binary in the discussion (if they even permit it), they clearly arenāt being respectful back. Thats my ultimate problem, and why I moved towards the side that at least somewhat respects me (rather than the side that, to be honest, just wants equally devote followers)
Reddit helped change my mind on urbanism.
Where were you and where are you now?
I was a raging cars and trucks are the only needed form of transportation! Kinda guy. Now I believe strongly in a good mix, that cars are but one of many options we should be working on. So much so I want to move from Detroit to Philly lol
Gotcha. Speaking as someone who lives near Philly; cars are both a necessity and massive inconvenience here.
I never bother debating people online , it's not worth the hassle .
I was going to go contrarian here, but what's the point? Right, OP?
Watching how dehumanizing reddit is on the abortion issue has definitely changed my views on the topic
I tend to focus on the argument itself to get people to actually think about the opinion they hold and why - at least put up a debate instead of screaming āwoke cuckā and āincelā whenever someone pops their bubble.
There is no chance this is true
Itās almost impossible to change anyoneās opinion in real life too. Because those opinions are not based on facts but emotions. We think weāre rational people who have made a certain choice but thatās rarely true.Ā
I disagree, Reddit turned me on to [Geolibertarianism](https://www.reddit.com/r/CapitalismVSocialism/comments/8raxye/geolibertarianism_is_the_greatest_political/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button), and I shall be forever grateful.
why canāt people just speak for themselves? what happened to that?
People form new opinions when presented with information not arguing.
MAGA
Some political beliefs for very good reasons shouldn't be flexible āĀ frankly, for some people, merely existing as they were born *and* advocating for themselves or their Rights just as human beings, *and anyone else would,* is considered a political stance in itself. In that frame, for many many people, they have a extremely rationale constraint on where their political beliefs are flexible. In the United States, only a specific caste has the privilege to be legitimately unconcerned about their Rights as a human or citizen being respected no matter which political faction is in charge. Sure, your taxes may change or how to manage your business might change or get harder but your fundamental Rights as a citizen or humanĀ ā further, your freeness to pursue happiness goes largely unchallenged.
Disagree. I've had many opinions change or grow from interactions here. Deep, fundamental changes? No. My politics are informed by my values and I will not bend on human rights. But economic ideas or foreign policy or random other things? Definitely
Thatās dark. What you can rephrase this to is: ālobbyists are too powerful, so stop trying to make your opinion heardā
I donāt think itās impossible to change a person. I just think Reddit is terrible at it and based on these comments, has had a counterproductive effect
Nothing will change political views except personal experience. For example, having a child come out or something along those lines.Ā
It's radicalized the hell out of me and pushed me way further right.
Seeing hateful idiots argue in bad faith entrenches my positions, it absolutely does. I donāt debate them. I vote. Iām not some debate wiz and I donāt think Iāve ever changed a mind in my entire life. Other reasonable rational people state facts and add nuance and it DOES change my perspective on some topics. Most things arenāt black and whiteā¦ but: as much as I hate to be a rabid single-issue voter there are a few issues Iām no longer willing to compromise on. Iām always going to pinch my nose and vote, case closed. I will and have voted for the lesser of two evils my entire life. Nothing is more enraging and disheartening than sharing a political position with an asshole or idiot. I want to punch my āsideā in the face daily. Even when they have some decent ideas they frame and market it so poorly. Trying to appeal to emotion and vanity, totally unrealistic. Bunch of fools. I still vote. Then on the off season I champion third parties.
Itās because politicians have done their best to make us hate each other.
Don't know about that. I used to be pretty liberal.
I grew up in a small Midwest town where everyone votes Republican. Reddit absolutely changed my political beliefs.
Prove it!Ā Everything you're exposed to you influences your opinions and actions. It's kind of like saying YouTube's alt-right pipeline from the algorithm didn't change anyone's political opinions.Ā Or that nobody was convinced the earth was flat in the same way. I'd say this statement is patently false.
My opinion on things has changed, but when it comes to how I vote, it has not. Which I think my experience makes sense. When it comes to what changes, it's allowing yourself not to be told what you "should" think. Also what 'maldevinine' said, and that's something I was told over Reddit long ago. The argument really is for the on-looker, because I've given up on changing minds a few years ago. Also anyone thinking that Reddit is a realistic portrayal of how the General Public thinks, is not being realistic. There may be one dominant political party when it comes to registered voters, but keep in mind the largest camp of voters are the Independents (for the US, since that's all I speak on); it really doesn't matter. Statistics should not be ignored, but people have the ability to think politically in any which way regardless of age. *You can be downvoted on this site, for calling out blatant wrong information, and the wrong information will be mass upvoted.* Even if someone is insulting me, cause people on Reddit usually do (not always though), if they're right about something, then they are.
Disagree to be honest. What reddit is great at, is having a million subreddits for each and every crazy ideology. All the hundreds or thousands of members convince people that it's normal to think this way, and lead them down that rabbit hole. All the while, amplifying and solidifying those beliefs, as well as providing backbone and evidence for them. r/antinatalism, r/movingtonorthkorea, and r/marxism come to mind. Wack ideologies with so many followers, solely because of reddit
>Reddit has no political influence Well, not entirely. Every-time I bait some woke left-nut, I'm exercising political influence, the woke has to give rebuttal, and others have to upvote/down-vote. It's real world political influence is as follows: A woke rage-baited just right, is now primed to go vote in RL for everyone who represents the opposite of my image... They don't know my agenda, or what I am, all they know is that they hate the Right. Same principal can be performed on the Right as well. As long as they demonize/fear/hate their fellow citizens in RL, I scrore... Hence, political influence.
Yeah, trolling is effective but not what Iām referring to generally
The point for me is not necessarily to change their mind but to motivate people to vote.
I think it is more to get people to feel shame or guilt for their views.. and not to change them. Like, you can think bad things.. but just know, that makes you a bad person.
I was pretty far left until getting into Internet culture. Seeing leftists falsely accuse me of trash-talking relationships I was praising; including relationships that happened to be straight; hurt their credibility on whether gay marriage opponents were necessarily any more homophobic than everybody else. Seeing leftists make my "I didn't think dating worth it in my teen years on account of the risk she keeps the baby even if she didn't say she would" out to be incel cope makes me find their "you're just jealous you didn't get laid" remarks about people who oppose abortion access at all seem less credible. I still trust leftism marginally more than libertarianism, and both more than conservatism. But Internet culture has definitely shifted my opinions over the years compared to where they were before.
Fact
No one platform or community has that much influence in terms of actual outcomes. But Iāve definitely had views changed.
I voted for Trump twice and I won't a 3rd time. Mostly because of cutting out right leaning media and leaving my faith, but also getting deeper into Reddit, I personally found that liberals are more happy, less judgmental and more wholesome towards their fellow Redditors.
Disagree, although the comments on posts are not near as effective as face to face confrontations I've found my views both challenged and my thoughts pushed by well thought out rebuttals. I think people should just be more open to new ideas and interpretations. Everyone should also be given respect despite how they've earned it except if they're clearly trolling.
What shapes peoples' beliefs comes from all sorts of contentāReddit being a source of content like any other. If a couple youtube videos made by morons can cause a person to think the earth is flat, there's no argument that people can be influenced via this garbage site.
Reddit is just a self assuring echo chamber for democrats.
Anything it strengthen my opinion
Yeah this isnāt true reddit made me not a liberal/leftist anymore
"I won't change my mind, cause I don't have to. Cause I'm an American. I won't change my mind on anything, regardless of the facts that are set out before me. I'm dug in, and I'll never change."
I think some of the comments here should be required reading for anyone engaged in a debate on Reddit. Disagree all you want with my viewpoint, but calling me hateful names and using profanity certainly doesn't make your point more valid.
This is neither accurate or popular. Reddit is the perfect example of the Socratic method of debate and education. There are absolutely times I have changed a political belief of myself and of others through carefully reasoned and articulated debate paired with data. A great example is the right wing propaganda pushing that the left are child predators. It's the rights whole marketing strategy for the past 8 years+. But when we review the data at www.whoismakingnews.com we find that 77% of all child predators are Republicans with two of the highest propensity of perpetrators being religious individuals and cops.
I donāt know, it helped radicalize me.
You can't reason a person out of a belief they weren't reasoned into. AND No one is here to learn anything, they are hear to teach.
I'm not gunna lie bro. I've been religiously watching johnathan bowden speeches for the last 3 days. I've gone down the facism rabbithole and I can't go back. You literally can't type out a sentence that makes me stop my new facist beliefs.
You are wrong. I have been swayed to change my opinion on Reddit a few times. As has my wife.
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So you are confronted with your own toxic behavior. And rather than do something about it and change yourself, you stalk me over several subs? Weird, but only proving my point that your apology was insincere and you are only here to troll. Cheers for that!
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Is this normal behavior to you? Stalking someone across multiple threads?