Politically Homeless - Ideologically Confused
Real people, real letters, real problems, no solutions.
Politics these days have become so divided and divisive that it’s become the norm to view the other side of the aisle as “the enemy”. People are being told to “pick a side” and that there’s no room for middle ground. We here at Phetasy believe that there are a lot more people in the middle than politicians and the media would have us believe.
We’re collecting stories from the ever growing number of people who are finding themselves Politically Homeless and posting them here on Substack. If you have moved from conservative to liberal, or liberal to conservative, if you feel you’ve stayed in the same place and your party has swerved drastically away from you, if you had a moment that awakened you to the insanity and hypocrisy on both sides, if you keep your mouth shut anytime a political topic comes up because you’re afraid your opinion will cause you to lose friends or your job, you’re not as alone as you might think.
Our goal is to shine a light on people’s earnest, individual experiences and show them they’re not alone.
Some letters have been edited for clarity and brevity. If you’re politically homeless and would like to share your story, please email us at iampoliticallyhomeless@gmail.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.
Letter 18:
Hi Bridget!
I heard your call on the most recent Dumpster Fire! So, I wanted to respond. I also needed to write my thoughts out to you...or the void works too (no pressure to respond).
Quick background: I'm an Austin, TX native who was raised by mod Republicans, took a left bent in college and now am a recovering leftist in a graduate program chalked full of radical left people. I also have cerebral palsy but I personally really hate a lot of 'identity' discussions because I think they're condescending. Therefore, I am clearly at odds with my workplace (academics). I also am only 24 so I've been effectively steeped in this weird university/elite moralism that makes me kinda hate myself and increasingly act weird around others.
I am feeling super ideologically confused! I feel like it's a half-baked 1984 scenario where illogic runs everything. Example: How is voter ID law Jim Crow 2.0 when it has 70% approx. Black support, but vaccine passports (only half the Black population is vaccinated) are not seen as racist and totalitarian?
I'm further confused by the fact that I'm experiencing a backlash to lefty cultural norms which mostly comes from trying to repair my own moral injury. I micro-aggressed a colleague, apologized and am still friends with this person--but at one point wanted to physically injure myself over it (even though the friend herself was never mad/upset with me). And, I feel like I'll never get the stain off. When you talked to Briahna you mentioned struggling with this new culture of eggshells.
How do you separate out valid and invalid criticism?
How do you forgive yourself for mistakes?
Any advice on how to like yourself if others start to doubt your basic morality?
I honestly can't tell if I'm a 'reactionary' or following my own beliefs anymore. I feel like I won't be voting for a while because I'm so uncertain/confused. But, my real problem is that I'm a journalism teacher and I don't want to be a negative influence on my students.
Do you have any advice for me to help teach future journalists? How do you sort through 'fact' and values in the present moment?
THANK YOU SO MUCH for Walk-Ins Welcome and Dumpster Fire. These shows help me so much. All the best to you + baby <3
Sincerely,
Politically Homeless
Some letters have been edited for clarity and brevity. If you'd like to share your story, email us at iampoliticallyhomeless@gmail.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.
I'm projecting from my own experience here. What has worked for me, might not work for you. With that caveat, here goes,
I can see two problems with your position. First, I think that you care too much what other people think of you and especially of your positions. If you think you are right on any particular subject, or any ideological/political position, stand your ground. The only reasons to change are (1) new facts drawn to your attention (2) logical flaws in your position, including logical consequences that you might have overlooked.
In my case, I have been a follower of JS Mill and David Hume since the 1860s. I have seen no reason to believe that my position is flawed, and so I have not changed. (The social consensus around me has changed, but that is of no import to me.)
Second, you are overly sensitive to what other people might perceive as flaws in your character. Who are they to judge you? Who are they to impose manners of thought and of speech on you? It's true that social opprobrium can be painful, and it's hard to stand alone against the mob. We are social beings and we need companions. But if you look carefully, you are likely to find a few who think like you. As for the rest, my personal tactic is to keep my mouth firmly shut. If you don't react, baiting you is no fun, and they move on.