What makes a person so stuck in their political views that nothing will change their mind? How do you use an unstoppable message to change an unchangeable mind?
I would argue that Obama has been more effective at this than any politician in recent history - even more effective than Clinton and Reagan before him. Clinton was great with empathy. His clarity and directness with the common citizen was largely responsible for his success. Reagan is a bit before I started paying attention, but he was a very personable speaker and again I believe folks were able to understand and empathize with him.
I think it great that Obama is so effective in this regard. But what really puzzles me, is why is it that some folks can never be reached?
Ideologues on the far left and the far right are so walled in by their perceptions of the world and their place in it that there is literally nothing that can be done to break through. How is that possible? How is it possible that anyone can be so stuck and stubborn that even literal proof will not sway an opinion, or even less, cause a second thought or raise some curiosity? Why do some people cling so ferociously to ideologies that are so extreme in relation to the general populace and even humanity?
I am struggling to find some way to understand this and I'm afraid I may not find one. I suspect fear is the largest factor, but I bet there's a mix of certitude in there as well. Frailty of ego... Ideological upbringing... This is a huge puzzle for me.
Why absolutism? I don't get it. And I strive to avoid it in my everyday life, but can I? Is it possible to be truly objective?
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