Psychology Sociology And Politics

[Steppenpig]

Why does party politics ignore everything we know about human nature? Societies are most content, most willing to support one another when they live in communities of people like themselves. Yet the parties all seem to want to destroy our current consensus . We need small achievable challenges and competition in order to develop and prosper, but the parties create welfare dependency. We want to live in an equal and fair society, yet the Tories encourage greed and selfishness while Labour crushes the will to better oneself.

And why is everything sociologists believe exactly the opposite of psychologists, when the two subjects seem so closely linked? (Psychology of the individual versus psychology of the group)

I realise I'm being simplistic or possibly wrong with the specifics, and I know there are difficult balances as some of these things are contradictory, but why do the parties pander to their core cliques? Why do most of the population prefer to support policies dreamed up by these small cliques of political activists? Why do people who have these minority beliefs end up taking over the entire media?

Why isn't there just a Reasonable Party, that actually tries to do the greatest good for the most people ? Surely if someone just came up with policies that were just good for society as a whole, for the majority of individuals, they would end up winning?

end of rant.....for now.

[sPinwheel]

Because people suck. The end. You can blame politicians...leaders etc all day long but in the end we get what we deserve

[Steppenpig]

I'll try and hone it down a bit. Why do a small number of people develop such deeply felt beliefs that really go against much of human nature, and how is it that these people, who really ought to be ostracised by society, actually end up in positions of power, and how do they convince the population that they are right ?

[knock out johnny]

Because people suck. The end. You can blame politicians...leaders etc all day long but in the end we get what we deserve

^

This

We are not all the same - what may be fair and reasonable to you may not be to me

We are not as rational as we think we are

We are not as nice as we think we are

Some of us are total sh!ts

Some of us are idiots

We are not selfless - it's in our nature to want to survive

[MrPin]

Because people suck. The end. You can blame politicians...leaders etc all day long but in the end we get what we deserve

Tits, engines and beer! The Party of Pin promises it all, although you will have to find your own, with your own money.

[Bossybabe]

Why does party politics ignore everything we know about human nature? Societies are most content, most willing to support one another when they live in communities of people like themselves. Yet the parties all seem to want to destroy our current consensus . We need small achievable challenges and competition in order to develop and prosper, but the parties create welfare dependency. We want to live in an equal and fair society, yet the Tories encourage greed and selfishness while Labour crushes the will to better oneself.

And why is everything sociologists believe exactly the opposite of psychologists, when the two subjects seem so closely linked? (Psychology of the individual versus psychology of the group)

I realise I'm being simplistic or possibly wrong with the specifics, and I know there are difficult balances as some of these things are contradictory, but why do the parties pander to their core cliques? Why do most of the population prefer to support policies dreamed up by these small cliques of political activists? Why do people who have these minority beliefs end up taking over the entire media?

Why isn't there just a Reasonable Party, that actually tries to do the greatest good for the most people ? Surely if someone just came up with policies that were just good for society as a whole, for the majority of individuals, they would end up winning?

end of rant.....for now.

They're all afraid the proles, if they have a sense of community, will eventually start a revolution to oust the politicians. And not before time.

As to sociology and psychology, I failed in these subjects due to "using too much common sense", according to the lecturer. 'Nuff said.

[MrPin]

They're all afraid the proles, if they have a sense of community, will eventually start a revolution to oust the politicians. And not before time.

As to sociology and psychology, I failed in these subjects due to "using too much common sense", according to the lecturer. 'Nuff said.

Would you like to be Foreign Minister, in my new government? Common sense is not common.

[Bossybabe]

But it's sense.

I'll be your foreign minister. I speak several versions of foreign. ?

[MrPin]

But it's sense.

I'll be your foreign minister. I speak several versions of foreign. http://advancedsearch2.virginmedia.com/main?InterceptSource=0&ClientLocation=uk&ParticipantID=jqlc435patgs4w79dx7g33u8otdryt35&FailureMode=1&SearchQuery=&FailedURI=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.unsustainablefuture.com%2Fforum%2Findex.php%3Fboard%3D1.0&AddInType=4&Version=2.1.8-1.90base&Referer=&Implementation=0&method=GET

Glasgae will be fine! The reason I am the pin, is that one day I found a load of blokes putting "magic crystals" in their cars to make them go better. I told them that was complete sh1t!. The girls cheered, and I was reborn as The Pin, the one that sees through nonsense!. I am almost as good as PaulOkes, without the backing of God!

[Bossybabe]

Glasgae will be fine! The reason I am the pin, is that one day I found a load of blokes putting "magic crystals" in their cars to make them go better. I told them that was complete sh1t!. The girls cheered, and I was reborn as The Pin, the one that sees through nonsense!. I am almost as good as PaulOkes, without the backing of God!

?

[interestrateripoff]

I'll try and hone it down a bit. Why do a small number of people develop such deeply felt beliefs that really go against much of human nature, and how is it that these people, who really ought to be ostracised by society, actually end up in positions of power, and how do they convince the population that they are right ?

Because power attracts sociopaths.

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/162557-it-comes-from-a-very-ancient-democracy-you-see-you

“It comes from a very ancient democracy, you see..."

"You mean, it comes from a world of lizards?"

"No," said Ford, who by this time was a little more rational and coherent than he had been, having finally had the coffee forced down him, "nothing so simple. Nothing anything like so straightforward. On its world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people."

"Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy."

"I did," said Ford. "It is."

"So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't people get rid of the lizards?"

"It honestly doesn't occur to them," said Ford. "They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates to the government they want."

"You mean they actually vote for the lizards?"

"Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course."

"But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?"

"Because if they didn't vote for a lizard," said Ford, "the wrong lizard might get in. Got any gin?"

"What?"

"I said," said Ford, with an increasing air of urgency creeping into his voice, "have you got any gin?"

"I'll look. Tell me about the lizards."

Ford shrugged again.

"Some people say that the lizards are the best thing that ever happenned to them," he said. "They're completely wrong of course, completely and utterly wrong, but someone's got to say it."

"But that's terrible," said Arthur.

"Listen, bud," said Ford, "if I had one Altairian dollar for every time I heard one bit of the Universe look at another bit of the Universe and say 'That's terrible' I wouldn't be sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.”

Douglas Adams.

[interestrateripoff]

“The major problem-one of the major problems, for there are several – one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.