Possibly you've seen reports about a Wall Street Journal/University of Chicago poll that recently took the pulse of American sentiment.
To me the amusing -- and somehow sad -- thing about it is that the conservative press (like the New York Post) screeches that the poll is proof Americans have fallen for the "woke" agenda. They have become soft and spoiled, interested only in money and pursuing their own pleasures. They are not as patriotic, not as religious, and not as family oriented as they used to be. Young people aren't even interested in having kids anymore! In other words, America is in deep trouble.
Meanwhile, the liberal press sees the same poll and massages the numbers to prove that Americans are becoming more progressive, more tolerant, more open to new ideas, more cognizant of our impact on the environment, and more focused on peaceful resolutions to our problems in the world. In short, we're becoming more enlightened.
Of course, they could both be right, couldn't they?
The economy -- 80% say it's bad. 20% say it's good.
Yet 62% say they are satisfied with their own personal financial situation. Go figure.
Will life for our children's generation be better or worse than it has been for us? 78% say it won't be. Only 21% feel confident that it will be.
Yet 71% say the U.S. is the best, or one of the best, countries in the world.
And 68% say they're happy. 27% say they're not.
How essential, or important, are these qualities in defining your identity? Here they are in order of importance:
- Gender: 77%
- Occupation: 73%
- Family heritage: 67%
- Religion: 63%
- Race: 62%
- Political affiliation: 53%
So it seems, despite the ranting of the left and the raving of the right, race is not as important as some other things in life. And politics is less important still.
How much confidence do you have in our public schools? 26% say quite a bit. 40% say some. 33% say not much.
Four-year college degree. Is it worth it? 42% say yes. 56% say no. In my opinion, that's not a great report card for our schools.
Do you favor, or not favor, people using "gender neutral" pronouns like she/her? 20% favorable. 45% not favorable. 35% don't care.
Do you consider yourself liberal, moderate or conservative: Liberal 23%. Moderate: 47%. Conservative: 28%. Really? So much for the theory that our country is caught in a stark partisan divide.
There's more in the poll. If you want to dig deeper and do your own analysis, here is a link to the original site.
Like the conservatives, or the liberals or the moderates, you'll probably find just what you want to find in the poll. That seems to be how the human mind works. What do they call it? Confirmation bias?
But even assuming you see what you want to see -- and disregard the rest -- just maybe you'll recognize that other people can have a different point of view, and just because they do doesn't make them stupid or hateful, or know-it-all self-important elites. You, uh, do agree with me, right?
15 comments:
Tom, I find I do better when not reading any of that. But I do agree with your last statement... not having the same point of view doesn't make people stupid or hateful (but sometimes their comments say different).
Extremism gets the publicity and tends to make us feel anxious. And we hear the extremists a lot, particularly the right IMO, on so-called social media platforms.
I guess I define myself as Korean-American and emphasize my family legacy. I also tend to be conservative.
I consider myself to be a product of my upbringing in a 1950s household. But then I became an old hippie and now am a Buddhist-loving liberal! I will skip the poll for sanity's sake.
I did check out the poll, and it looks like it's captured a good cross-section of our country (though I was surprised at the high number--almost 50% "strongly believe in God"). I believe in 'The Force', does that count? I'm not trying to be funny, I just don't believe in a higher power in a Biblical context. Anyway, I USED to believe everyone was entitled to their own opinion, and I still do for the most part--except when it comes to any person, place or thing tied to the monster that is Donald Trump. (And I don't think that should automatically define me as a liberal either--even though I am I suppose, with a smidge of moderate around the edges.)
Quite a lot was pulled out of this poll. So polls can be to say what pollsters want them to say.
I don't put a lot of stock into polls. This isn't so much a comment about their accuracy but a comment about what you alluded too, people see in them what they want to see and ignore the rest. People get so blinded by their beliefs, they can't stand to listen to someone else's point of view.
I am fascinated about the "why" people believe what they do and often ask probing questions to understand that. It fascinates me how people get so upset when I question a professed belief of theirs to the point that one of your commenters above told me not long ago, that they didn't want me leaving comments anymore.
My hope is that in a world of intolerant people like the person I'm referring to, hopefully the next generations will learn to adapt and we truly can become a more moderate society and do something meaningful other than passing tit for tat legislation.
I agree, someone might occasionally say something stupid or even hateful, but that doesn't necessarily make them a stupid or hateful person. Ed, sometimes I wish I was more intolerant. It would make life easier.
Fascinating poll but it's all about perceptions, isn't it? For example, I consider myself a moderate but my friends on the right consider me a liberal or even a far leftie. Maybe even a...gasp...socialist. How people act and how they vote are very different from how they respond to a poll in my humble opinion.
From my perspective, the generations after ours are more tolerant and open minded. I have hope that when all the "old white guys" are gone, moderation and courtesy will return. But then, I've always been an optimist.
Linda, I think I know what you mean; but still, as an old white guy myself ... that hurts.
Tom, I have been a liberal anti-war democrat since I was a teenager.
I don't believe we are as divided as the media makes us out to be.
The greatest threat to our democracy are people who do not think for themselves and parrot what they are told by the media outlets.
George Orwell warned us about Big Brother controlling the news in 1984. This is exactly what was happening with the FBI and government telling social media what stories were fake and what were not.
All of these are moving targets. Wealth and education, gender parity, etc. Let us hope that it works out. I am of the opinion we are moving toward WWIIII....yeah, I know!!
Having had some training in poll taking, I can write that it is VERY hard to create a fair and accurate poll.
Polls now seem like relics of the past to me. People are too polarized now, and dug into their beliefs. I used to enjoy getting news from MSNBC but somewhere along the line I felt they were too much like Faux News but from a different point of view. I have given up all media that reinforces my opinions and think that everyone who watched shows like Tucker Carson should do the same. I actually have a friend of 40 years who refuses to spend time with me because she is a diehard Republican who has shifted to the far right. Like Ed, I enjoy getting insight into why someone embraces their beliefs, and I am always respectful of their opinion. I miss my discussions with my friend and blame Trump for the loss of that friendship.
Nina
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