They cannot afford to admit they are wrong and change their minds, because it is the belief structure itself that permits them to feel they are better than those ignorant and oh so common conservatives. It props up their egos - they fundamentally believe that they are better than, and superior to, those who believe differently than them. To change their minds would cause them to realize that they are not better, and in fact they are ignorant and foolish.
Therefore, they will never engage in rational debate. They will go to their graves believing that they are right and we are wrong -- don't confuse them with the facts, their minds are made up.
Correct on all counts. The Baby Boomer Left (and I am a Baby Boomer), formerly known as the New Left but what I like to call the Leftover Left, holds the power in academia, the font from which all modern liberalism flows. It will take 15-20 years before enough Leftovers retire for a new worldview to emerge. Until then we need to keep calling them on their bullshit.
Regarding beliefs that do not correlate with reality, I am starting to warm up to the idea that Leftism is indeed a form of mental illness, involving a disconnect from reality and a complete lack of pscyhological self-monitoring capacity.
They cannot afford to admit they are wrong and change their minds, because it is the belief structure itself that permits them to feel they are better than those ignorant and oh so common conservatives. It props up their egos - they fundamentally believe that they are better than, and superior to, those who believe differently than them. To change their minds would cause them to realize that they are not better, and in fact they are ignorant and foolish.
I’d just add that those who wrap up their identity with their politics have an extremely difficult time changing their politics. It’s not as simple as saying, “OK, I guess I was wrong about socialism. Looks like limited government is the best political system. My bad.” Some of these people would have to change their entire view of themselves – their ego, as you say – in order to change their politics. That is a far, far bigger, more psychologically complex task than simply beginning to vote Republican or Libertarian. For some of these people, rejecting their politics requires them to reject the entire structure on which their self-esteem is based. No easy task.
Also, many of the more rabid Leftists use politics as psycho-therapy. They need shrinks more than they need rational debate. Thus Marxist cultists and neo-Marxist victim-mongers need serious psychological de-programming more than they need facts.
Therefore, they will never engage in rational debate. They will go to their graves believing that they are right and we are wrong -- don't confuse them with the facts, their minds are made up.
Thus they do not educate, they indoctrinate. Thus they appeal to emotion, not to reason.
dark_lord: They cannot afford to admit they are wrong and change their minds, because it is the belief structure itself that permits them to feel they are better than those ignorant and oh so common conservatives.
Although I agree with you in the short term, I believe liberals will eventually change their tune and march to whomever's beating the drum because they have no real values or morals except for what's "in". IMO, Once conservatism takes over as the dominant political belief of the nation you'll see the limousine liberals bid adieu to their leftist fellow travellers and join the parade.