Apparently my political views are confusing to some of you

[@katelyn3431]

I grew up conservative, and my general observation is that people are cruelest to their own. You probably think liberals are meaner in their disagreements than conservatives because you were a liberal. I promise conservatives are just as cruel to each other when they disagree. There is just as much arrogance, just as much self-righteousness, just as much purity testing, just as much cancelling.

[@TheEverGrowingRosey-333]

To be fair, the conservatives she talks to could be more moderate type folks & not the really overtly hateful types that engage in that purity testing. Such people do exist I promise you, granted they are a dying breed.

[@odinassassin]

This is so true. It is scary how so many don't realize it is the same coin just two different sides.

[@Mattyjp28]

That's what drives me crazy about people who identify as one or the other. Both think that the people on the other side are inherently less intelligent than them and they both accuse eachother of doing the exact same things and act like they don't do them themselves

[@infamousshinkicker6924]

I especially think that's true within religious conservatives. Like, get a room of Christian conservatives who disagree on either interpretation of scripture or politics, oooooh boy

[@erin1569]

Tbf, I'd say liberals cling to social media personalities harder because they feel powerless due to their party being awful at doing anything, while the other party runs in turbo mode.

[@SpaveFrostKing]

While I'm pretty left leaning, the leftist purity testing is infuriating. If you can't get along with someone who you agree with on 90% of issues, that's a you problem. With that said, it bothers me how often I hear people who "left the left" primarily because leftists are annoying. Obviously that makes sense psychologically, and maybe I'm too idealistic, but I think people should have the political beliefs they do because that's what they think is best after careful consideration, not because they get along with other people who have those beliefs.

[@knjparadise]

as a leftist, this also annoys me. i’m a leftist because i believe in leftist ideology, not because i think that conservatives are annoying

[@ChrisHöppner]

On the other hand, the feeling that you can't seem to ever get along with anyone that supposedly shares in the same fundamental principles would make anyone question their own beliefs.

[@davidegaruti2582]

I got rallied off a server called a zionist , a techbro and a fascist for saying that "hey maybe being nasty to men under the guise of feminism isn't that great for getting them to agree with you" And like , i am no longer on that server ...

[@IvanaSapuová]

but "leftism" and "rightism" isn't some sort of a club, you don't return a membership, you don't leave anything as didn't Ana, based on what she said she said that she doesn't put a label on herself because she doesn't want to identify with a radicalising group I'm also what you would call a leftist, I support all kinds of liberties, state social support and so on. But I also don't want to be associated with the extremes some people take it to

[@kzvegansuperstar]

@@davidegaruti2582 calling someone a Zionist as an insult is overtly antisemitic, yikes

[@wallycola5653]

I'm a leftist. I can tell that we don't quite align on every issue, but I think your approach to understanding psychology is one based on scientific rigor and I really appreciate how you dissect and analyze research with a critical lens. You're not just pop psychology like the 99% of the other KZbinrs on here who do bs vids about narcissism and empaths. We might not agree on every last little thing, but we don't need to because you're a good, careful, thorough science educator

[@ChrisMissal]

It's frustrating when people have good leftist views but are afraid of the label :(

[@haighostu7364]

I'm also a leftist. I feel the exact same way. You articulated my own feelings perfectly.

[@FRyffel]

Yep... I'm a social ecologist and refuse to be called a liberal.... Liberals here in Switzerland, and most of Europe, are considered center-right! You keep being you.... not that you need me to tell you that! :)

[@seanbinkley7363]

Generally speaking, "woke" is purely used as an insult now for anything that's even remotely left of center. Anyone using it in a serious way to attacking someone or something s almost always just dog whistling so they have some plausible deniability for being insert prejudice here.

[@Pastaluver_]

Crazy how that word has been hijacked when it’s original meaning has nothing to do with what it’s now associated with

[@em97c]

I think the rhetoric of "anyone using this word is just xyz and can be disregarded" is exactly the mentality this video is trying to encourage people to avoid

[@rebekahnewman3876]

Your entire channel is about challenging your viewers to confront issues like tribalism and lack of media literacy. There are political parties which directly profit from media illiteracy and tribalism. When you said you’re no longer a liberal, I understood what you meant immediately. People need to look at the content of your channel and evaluate it critically, not look for how to label you. For context of my comment, if I had to choose a label for myself, I am a leftist

[@V1sual3y3z]

I also wonder if this is in part due to a perspective that does not consider political ideology and language outside of the US? Liberal can have slightly different meanings across the globe.

[@deanstownhall]

Preach

[@creacher00]

You said this far better I ever could

[@SK-gc7xv]

"There are political parties which directly profit from media illiteracy and tribalism." *All

[@3point14magpies]

You just can't win with people who are committed to misunderstanding you because of their own issues.

[@Elemenohpea440]

Truer words have never been spoken. Don’t waste your time trying to make those who don’t want to understand you, understand. How many arguments and needless talking is a result of this?

[@MatauReviews]

Some people are deliberately obtuse for sure

[@o.revi.]

Agreed

[@lejlateletovic5225]

I was born in different communist country, Yugoslavia, and we have much different experiences. Yes, sometimes my parents would work for common good, for example - they worked non-payed Saturdays for a period of time, but the money was invested in building new high school, in which me and my siblings went, and got really good free education. Higher education is still free here. I'm Master of architecture, I've got my diploma for free and it's recognized throughout Europe. Not to mention that my parents, as "non-skilled" workers were able to build two-stories house. Most people would just get apartment from the companies they worked for. Housing was viewed as human right. I, as an architect, would need to starve for years and years now to afford housing.

[@Dsonsee]

I don't align with Dr. Ana in many ways, as I'm pretty radical with my anticapitalist views and I see her as more of a moderate. Nonetheless, I love this channel, appreciate all of the insights and the effort she puts into helping us understand and improve the relationships in our lives. It's fine by me if she doesn't speak about the relationships of ownership, production and trade, I have other sources for that.

[@FabricadeBasme]

What are your other sources? *Genuine curiosity*

[@cda6590]

Hey, we should be happy that she advocates for universal healthcare without even missing a beat. That, in America, is often seen as "radical" by many. Also, given the sheer amount of work she puts towards educating herself and also others on academic psychology, her reading Theory is almost definitely not going to happen. By no means does this make her unqualified or 'uneducated' to speak on these topics

[@sabrinagranger5468]

Honestly, I don't understand the whole idea of being "pushed" to a certain political fraction by being rejected from another. My political beliefs are my beliefs, my values and my values, and I'm capable of reevaluating, adjusting or fully changing my positions if I change my mind, but I just can't imagine being "pushed" like that. I'm strongly convinced that unless someone is already attracted to a certain ideology, nothing can push them there against their will. I used to be active in a few political groups, and I've had horrible interpersonal interactions with people from "my side", where I felt wronged and mistreated. That made me dislike those specific people and reevaluate the specific orgs, but I didn't push me into opposing politics because I don't bend with the wind.

[@TheEverGrowingRosey-333]

I agree with this, and I feel that cases like Laci Green and Ana Kasparian are good examples of folks that sure sometimes people could've been more patient & kind with them, but I also think they were already attracted to the ideologies they're now in (which I would call fairly reactionary). Edit: That said I don't need someone to label themselves exactly the same as me, in Dr. Ana's case I'd say she's overall all pretty aligned with me except economically & not by a drastic extreme.

[@calexito9448]

Being able to listen other people will make you change your mind in a lot of topics.

[@StevenZissimos]

I think the people who were "pushed" don't have any convictions at all and are just looking for a group to belong to. It's sad, but it's a thing that happens.

[@pleasestopscreaming]

Same. I can only think they didn't have very strong beliefs to begin with, or they're enticed by grift. Lots of the newest talking heads on the right were former leftists. I think they're just getting paid.

[@septimaserpent]

*_1000%_*

[@dashiellsisson9263]

While I agree with most of what you’re saying, holistically and politically; and I empathize with your sentiments on leftist purity tests, resentment, and partisan bias in academia, I believe that there are more violations of the principle of freedom of speech by the right, with left leaning voices being censored or shut down by the right wing and by the center left neoliberals who are in power. A prime example of this would be the treatment of pro Palestine protesters who are subjected to law enforcement, labels of antisemitism and censorship. Not to mention the fact that right wingers like Elon Musk have turned Social Media platforms on their heads, dominating the talking points and algorithms. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed your video and your perspective.

[@zhouyongkang5331]

This 💯 You said _exactly_ what I was about to comment.

[@emmadasilva1794]

You're right she didn't mention those violations on the right, but she doesn't identify as on the right, either. Just because the right may be worse at certain things she "left the left" over doesn't mean she should identify as a leftist again, right?

[@anxiousartemis]

Supporting Palestine isn’t by itself left tho. While it’s true that at this moment most of the leftists do support Palestine, it isn’t exactly about the ideology

[@mrangryface]

imo using "woke" as a term to condemn is a big red flag. And yeah, its called a political spectrum for a reason. identity politics and polarization are toxic

[@tehswordninja]

I'm only ever a bit guarded towards the concept of the government having little power if corporations are equally, if not more so targeted. I've found in my experience that a lot of people with the view of small government, willingly or otherwise, tend to overlook corporations being able to wield power and influence in the same ways that government can. In the US, I have far more concern over the power of corporations than the power of our government - especially since our current president is being actively bought by corporations!

[@strawpiglet]

We have similar views. I am equally concerned with both, since our government is a wholly owned entity of corporations. If we could separate the two I'd feel a lot better about our government. It's supposed to serve us.

[@cda6590]

Large corporations in the US don't want small government across the board; but instead are just using this rhetorical tactic to dismantle very specific regulatory bodies or policies. Elon Musk, for example, would not be where he is today without many, many of his major businesses being bailed out or heavily subsidized by Government money. Don't forget: The biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic stimulus plans were these large corporation and the people at their top. China's recent economic success in the past few decades is essentially built off this tactic: They aren't 'Communists,' but State Capitalists whose primary means of business ownership is largely privatized but heavily subsidized and backed by their government (they call it being a "red chip business"). They basically got this idea from us but are just more open about doing it.

[@jessica5470]

I genuinely believe this is the cause to most political issues, the wealth inequality is obvious, also insane amount of slavery, but also down to making us fight over toilets that they should be providing but don't wanna spend the money on it, down to the idea of "oh they're in economics they know what they're doing" when that deffo isn't true

[@piggysew797]

The thing with corporations is that they use government power (through lobbying and collusion) to unfairly advantage themselves to everybody else expense. Many of the small/anti government crowd realize that the power of corporations is certainly to some degree correlated to the power of government

[@kablamo9999]

I'm not sure how anyone can be too woke. I'm too antiracist? Too antihomophobic? Ok, that's a good thing.

[@saltiestsiren]

I have felt alienated from leftists online and been told I'm a bad person for enjoying Harry Potter or spending money on anything where the money is going to a "bad" person. I've been chastised for being "the devil's advocate for somebody/a group that doesn't deserve/need it" when I try to point out inaccuracies and nuances in the arguments of a leftist/group of leftists. Trying to tell people they have more control over their lives than they realize in spite of the harms our system and economy have done and continue to do gets me called a capitalist lmao. I'm not trying to make myself appear a victim or something because I'm not. But it's no wonder people end up rolling over to the right where they are welcomed with open arms lol. All of us just want to feel included and appreciated. Unconditional respect---not necessarily friendliness or even kindness---mutual, unconditional respect is so desperately needed in the USA and the rest of the world.

[@KristenNicoleYT]

It’s wild to me that you’re having to make this because nothing you’ve said so far about your beliefs is in any way surprising to me

[@Canoby]

Anyone using the term "woke" should best be ignored, for your own mental health.

[@bonniea.1941]

I cannot agree with you enough. How do I agree with you harder? More?

[@anaturn12]

Why? Its usefull term

[@kevinschaaf2541]

Hereby disregarding the entire message of the video😂

[@susand2729]

"I don't know what that means his, I don't live in my mom's basement " Absolute gold.

[@kappasphere]

When a political figure like Trump builds his platform on publicly dehumanizing entire groups of people, and his supporters don't even bother to open their mouths to condemn it but instead decide to write his name on their hats, then I don't really feel like I would ever want to be dealt the misfortune of being in the same room as a person like this. I agree that as a matter of strategy, it really isn't a good idea to just treat these people as the heartless enemies that I've come to see them as, but I do think it's important to acknowledge the impulse.

[@TinaCutri]

I agree with you, and Ana as well. I don’t think everyone who voted for Trump is part of the KKK or a white nationalist. Or that they even hate queer people, immigrants, etc. My personal gripe is that they’re okay with policies that target certain minority groups, as long as it doesn’t affect them. Like I said, I do agree with Ana that group think can take over, and people will label situations as extreme when they aren’t. I just don’t know what the strategy is moving forward. I don’t want to yell at these people, not do I want to explain to them calmly my point of view, because they will also talk down to me (as if I’m not 30 years old with my own life experience). I do appreciate Ana’s approach in general of examining one’s biases as well

[@yomommamonkey]

You have a very thoughtful perspective on politics, and it’s refreshing to hear someone recognize that people with vastly different political views can still share the same core values but interpret and apply them in different ways. I appreciate you sharing your insights.

[@pam112061]

I live in a red county and get the opposite with the hate. The are vile. Where I live the KKK is alive and well and even though I am white, I have biracial family members. There is so much truth in the saying: there is no hate like Christian love. Churches on every corner and yet even in my small town people were calling for the Bishop who asked Trump for mercy to be hung, thrown out of the Church, deported, and even SA'd. I am ashamed of what the vast majority of Republican have become. There are very few democrats here - we are definately in the minority. We are not communists/socialists/marxists as right like to spout off. As if they know what any of those mean to begin with. I also live in a county that has a high percentage of people on food stamps. I have no problem with that as at one point in my life when I was younger, I was on food stamps. I do have a problem with people voting against their best interest though. We are finally growing, but we are still a low income area. There are a lot of farms who depend on migrant labor. People need to live their own lives. It should not matter what religion someone is or is not, it should not matter who someone is in love with as long as it is age-appropriate and consensual. Stop pushing your religious beliefs onto others. Stop banning what books people can read, what movies people can see.

[@eduardoubilla4307]

While i think it's true that the two party system contributes to the idealogical polarization in the USA, i doubt it's the only reason. In my country, Chile, there has been a worrisome increase in ideological polarization and we don't have a two party system, but obiously we still have the "left and the right" in political and ideological terms. My bet is that polarization arises from cognitive biases and the reason why it has increased in the last years is because the internet, in specific social media algorithms, have exploited that bias and reinforced it to a pathological degree.

[@essaly7969]

Social media algorithms are to blame, even though it's a cliché answer. I used to wonder why trans issues suddenly took so much space within public discourse. Trans people are a minority within a minority, they don't have any significant influence on the economy, yet during this election season millions of $ were poured on political ads (mostly by the right, in this instance) about the 'trans question' in the US. Most people go about their day without interacting with a trans person or thinking about women's sports, but it turns out that at night, some of them log on social media and watch hours of content on these issues because they're stuck in an algorithmic bubble.

[@anthonyjaychampagne9960]

I think it's interesting that I agree with almost every thing you said in this video, but still identify as a progressive/leftist. Maybe this is due to personal experience at the end of the day because you grew up with a lot of socialist/communist experiences, whereas I come from a very christian and conservative background. I think some of it has to do with a generally rebellious personality trait, but also just negative connotations due to growing up in a biased environment where you can see the consequences of the system you are born into.

[@TheFiteShow]

i think all that really matters in this political space is that we agree that trump and his cabinet are putting people in tangible danger

[@temporaltomato3021]

This was a great listen. Because of bits in your recent videos and some reactions to them, I had hoped something like this was coming soon - Politics, especially American politics, is something you can't merely dip your toes into as a public persona anymore. Not that I'd hope for your channel to go further in that direction; this was perfect. I also think you speak for most people in expressing the overall theme in this video. Not that most people agree with your specific views necessarily, but that most mature adults are exhausted by the constant moral purity tests being administered by the extremes of each side (although seemingly more aggressive on the left for some reason). And the fact that political leadership keeps catering to, or at least refusing to distance themselves from, these extremes fuels the fire further.

[@alfsmom8025]

Here here

[@ApotheoChaos]

It seems silly to think that you're conservative when you've clearly expressed that you support gay and women's rights. It's a little baffling to me that you've had better experiences with conservatives that disagree with you, though. That has been the opposite of my experience. I wonder if it's because you're not obviously queer or poc. I disagree with leftists all the time and they're fine with it because they know I at least believe in human rights, which is what they want. But maybe that's because I'm just not online as often as others. I call myself a leftist because it's convenient when letting people gauge where my beliefs are. If they need to know the things I don't like about leftists, or the nuances of my beliefs, then they'll learn it overtime I get your aversion to labels though. Also, leftists are generally not democrats. I feel like you might have implied an equivalency by accident, just wanted to put that out there

[@pleasestopscreaming]

It's also my experience that leftists don't go looking for an argument online. Say what you want about the echo chamber, but at least we stay in ours. Every politics/social page I follow, there are always conservatives in the comments.

[@bbyjirl]

When I heard her say that I also paused, but I can see her perspective in that leftists can be much more cutting with their words, and I feel that one of our weaknesses as a united force of positive change is all the infighting. I agree that often conservatives are very mean online, but so often they sound very dumb and over the top and go for like school yard bullying type of retaliation that doesn’t cut as deep. I don’t really engage in leftist in group arguing, but it would hurt way more to be told I’m some sort of fascist or any -ist and have my morals misunderstood by somebody who I mostly agree with than being called a stupid liberal feminist cat lady or something, that’s just my take.

[@zhouyongkang5331]

Agreed. I identify as a leftist, but I begrudgingly vote for Democrats because there is no other realistic option in this two-party system. I hate the fact that I voted for the guy who supplied Israel with the weapons they are now using to commit a genocide, but the alternative would have done far worse.

[@worldcleansingdragon]

I had the exact same thoughts when dr Ana was comparing her experiences on disagreement with the right and the left. And I've had conflicts with both sides throughout my life. I am also not poc and never talk about my queernes out loud, but I am eastern-european, maybe it has something to do with it.

[@saladman420]

I’m a trans person of color and right wing people literally hate me for simply existing. I used to post on TikTok but I stopped because of all the transphobic harassment I got from conservatives. I didn’t even post a political video saying “fuck conservatives” I simply posted a video of me talking about my experience as a trans person. I didn’t even mention trump and I got harassed. I identify myself as a leftist but ngl I hate the whole purity thing too.

[@t-bearconnell]

Nuance seems hard for folks who tend to get sucked into media narratives and seem to get caught up in an agree/disagree cycle rather than seeking understanding on a particular issue....I say this as someone who is aware this can happen to me and I have to check myself when I'm feeling emotional about a particular media narrative. It's clear to me, here in the US, politics is essentially a metaphorical NFL football game of Blue vs Red. Keep up the interesting and thoughtful work, Dr. Ana! Be well.

[@ln8496]

Libtoid? lmfao im dying 💀💀💀😂😂

[@Kyle496]

Maybe liberal android? Like a liberal NPC or something? I dunno, it's stupid either way

[@cosmictraveler1146]

Omfg I read this as soon as she said this lmaoo

[@Bluntgirly]

Haven't watched the video yet but you're a PSYCHOLOGIST. Not a politician. People are weird. Your videos are dope! Love your channel.

[@RealCoolScene]

As a leftist, I wish more leftists thought like you. Even when you said things i disagreed with, I was far more willing to hear you out because I know you have a method of analysis and empathy behind your opinion. I could hear the same words (eg. Less government control) from a maga conservative, and know it is much more likely to be coming from a more selfish and uninformed place, and will lead to worse policy positions as a result. The left definitely has people who focus on labels without analysis, just like the right does, and those are probably the people sending you this undeserved hatred.

[@stokelycarmichael4626]

Would love more conversation around how a lot of these polarized commenters are actually bots existing for the sole purpose of sowing divisiveness. How much of that is bleeding out into how people interact in the real world?

[@tannerallen4074]

Stumbled upon your channel in last week and started out watching videos that seemed relevant to me, and eventually started watching anything you put out. I’m learning new things all the time and it has been a great help to me, thank you for your hard work!

[@Mrlin13]

My suspicion is that lots of people feel they have to identify threats more quickly these days, since they're definitely not in short supply. But because of that they fail to give people the benefit of the doubt, that they're starting from the center of the bell curve, rather than one extreme or the other. I'm trying to be better about recognizing that feeling when it happens to me.

[@Bengully]

I would say you have to keep in mind that when you are dealing with online politics and specifically American politics you will consistently come across the worse sides of the discourse. Don't equate that to real life. For me as a British person I find Americans definitions of "liberal" "conservative" and "socialist" to be fastly different to the rest of the world and those words seem to come with a lot of historical baggage for one reason or another. Ultimately I agree that left siding politics need to approach people who don't agree with them with a more positive attitude you don't convince people you're right by telling them they are stupid

[@ragnarok700]

So, basically this video is for all the people unable to understand nuance opinions and fond of projecting their misunderstanding onto other's point of view?

[@troywalkertheprogressivean8433]

Libertarianism is corporatism. The rich still rule in libertarianism.

[@Johan-ef9ee]

Ana based on my experience I think the reason why left leaning people are more likely to insult people has to do more with the differences in political identity for right and left rather then the willingness to tolerate disagreement. The lefts political identity is strongly tied with political values, so to them it feels like you are attacking them when you express a contrary one, whereas the right identify more strongly with its candidates so it tends not to effect people as much unless they are explicitly political. I would guess if you happened to start criticizing trump in your videos you would see a similar backlash from the right that you see from the left, but the left would not care too much if you criticized left wing candidates.

[@arich20]

This is a really interesting take, thanks for sharing

[@rockytom5889]

Close. I'd like to add it's also cause the people in the right tend to have more to lose if they act unstable.

[@d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d]

probably because there are almost no left wing candidates, lol

[@SungoldStudios2]

I was one of the people confused by the polarization section of the "loneliness epidemic" video. It might be helpful to mention that (for me at least) the confusion came from Dr Ana talking about people cutting people off for minor disagreements in combination with clip from a video where a psychologist is saying that during the holidays and in the aftermath of the election, it's okay for LGBTQ+ people to not be around family members who voted in a way that could affect their rights. I took the clip to mean "you don't have to be around family members who don't care about your rights". Maybe Dr Ana interpreted the clip as "you can cut them off because they voted differently." I'm a poc and some of my family members voted for Trump. I still talk to them, go to family gatherings and spend time with them. But it's heart wrenching for me to see their lack of empathy towards undocumented immigrants (even from their own country) because they were (mostly lol) able to migrate to the US legally.

[@killjoy3724]

Some people haven’t developed a personality and become extremely political to try to make up for one.

[@zak-a-roo264]

"Do not attempt to rationalize the irrational thoughts or actions of another, all we end up with is two crazy people! - Dr Ruth Westheimer

[@kendallcooper1075]

Ugh this is why you’re my fav channel. This is so refreshing. Thanks for keeping it real

[@Notayoutubechannel89]

Well said. I find a lot of this thinking came from my age and mental well being lol, I’m 35, it took lots of inner work and healing to arrive to the conclusion I don’t know everything and neither does anyone else.

[@alfsmom8025]

Exactly

[@darkwingedangel7216]

We need to stop using the term "woke" as an insult. Free speech can be useful, but you learn a lot better in silence.

[@5.3pachyderm15]

Nuance cannot exist in the current polarized, volatile, poisonous political discourse. It's horrible

[@Spiney09]

It can if we force a space for it. It’s not going to naturally happen though.

[@alexandlynnward6651]

@@Spiney09Agreed. Nuance (along with kindness and compassion) is more essential now than ever.

[@L-gu6zy]

I'm a European liberal, and I feel like your views sound fairly close to what liberalism entails here. It is not a blanket term for left wing here, it's actually a bit tricky to sort into the left/right spectrum.

[@MeghanStark]

Good for you 😊Political discourse online can very tedious and half-baked. Especially in an average comments section.

[@berserkthebattl]

Man, I wish I had more people like yourself to converse with. Finding people who are open to conversation about contentious subjects is extremely difficult these days.

[@christianyaerger1751]

Dr. Ana, what would be your advice on moving from an External Locus of Control to an Internal Locus?

[@cuteapoot232]

I'm glad I watched the whole video because I was wary when you called yourself a moderate, but when you listed out your main political philosophies it's basically exactly how I approach things even though I would call myself pretty far left. I think an important aspect of ending tribalism in politics is identifying false binaries in political discourse. For example, self-reliance and focusing on what you can control is important, and doesn't have to come at the expense of advocating for systemic change so that disadvantaged groups of people don't have to work so much harder than others just to get by. Similarly, being pro-choice doesn't necessarily mean you think ab*rtions are fine and everyone should get them willy-nilly, and almost every pro-lifer I've ever talked to has agreed that abortion should be acceptable in specific circumstances. The more we're able to find common ground and realize our sides aren't inherently opposed in all ways, the more we can work towards agreement instead of argument!

[@opti6019]

I can’t say that I’m entirely satisfied with this video’s content, and I don’t agree with everything that was said, but I understand where it’s coming from, especially with some of the crappy comments she got last time. Dr. Ana is such an insightful, intelligent, and articulate person with lots of knowledge to share, even if I don’t agree with her on everything. I’m taking her advice from the end of the video, and will continue to enjoy this channel.

[@NautiluStudios]

If there's one thing I've learned from therapy, black and white thinking is just not great... and politics is such a victim of the binary thinking.

[@JONGGG]

So twisted to live in a world where you have to pick a side and stay there until your last breath. No fence sitting, no mind shifts or critical thinking allowed lol

[@UnicornzAndLolipopz]

So far I've enjoyed our pseudo relationship and will continue watching you whether I agree with you or not! Thanks for the flexibility Anna, we'll needed on the interwebs

[@t-shades7148]

I especially appreciate your insights on communism! I am so frustrated by people who self-identify as communists just because they hate capitalism, but yet have no idea what a communist society would actually look or be like. You can criticize capitalism without fully endorsing communism!

[@Bertinator-nm9ld]

I like to hope that's mostly just a vocal minority of college kids, who spend too much time online. It's kinda normal to have crazy political beliefs, at that age

[@Hannah-vz3hr]

“If you guys are going to hate me for my political views, you may as well know what they are.” RESPECT. You turn the other cheek. 🌹

[@captionhere]

As someone who is not form the US it seems to me that the 2 party system is designed to keep the powerful in positions of power so that the status quo of the supremacy of the military industrial complex always triumphs. Its the same in the UK, but with some minor parties on the side. Power always stays with the 2 main parties.

[@strawpiglet]

Absolutely correct.

[@username19237]

The issue is that political education in America is practically nonexistent. The liberal-democrat/conservative-republican dynamic comprises probably not even a quarter of noteworthy political philosophies, even just today, let alone historically.

[@purplecupcake993]

I'll admit I used to be involved in far-left political circles, but it left me with this thing that I had to shut down anyone who didn't have the "right" views because they were "hateful" or "bigoted'. I think this did a number on my critical thinking skills and honestly, I'm still trying to learn to tolerate people's views and opinions if they are different than mine, and that not everyone's views are necessarily spreading hate. I am honestly very grateful you made this video, I feel like people somehow went too far with social justice and started attacking everyone who disagrees with them and trying to bully them off the internet and honestly, it is toxic. It's also counterproductive because I do agree that we should stand together and try to overcome injustice together and just honestly, I think shaming people harms people's mental health and is not something we should be doing if we want solidarity and to see the humanity in others. We should be normalizing disagreeing respectfully and having respectful discourse. I want to try to get better at my critical thinking skills as well and being an independent thinker, honestly, you were always an inspiration for me Ana in the field of psychology, as I'm now a psych major at a community college :)) thank you for always standing up for what you believe in in the face of scrutiny :))

[@hylianflower9681]

youre basically the same as me then. do your research on a topic and pick a solution, it has nothing to do with political parties, it has everything to do with what i want for my future

[@gamerookie09]

I became certified in DBT last year. It is currently my favorite modality to use today because it encourages/challenges a lot of the Black and White thinking. It forces a person to understand the grey in all things. One thing I learned from this past election that people who tend to have a lot of these extreme opinions and beliefs, in their politics, struggle in other areas of functioning. Interpersonal relationships being the main one I noticed. In an era where Cluster B personality pathology is so prevalent, this type of therapy is needed more than ever. Seeing, your previous videos on DBT in the past, it seems like Ana has adapted a DBT way of thinking and in her personal life. I’m all for it. If more people thought this way, the world would be a better place. But, I also know that’s also not reality. 😂

[@oldmanvox3897]

BREAKING NEWS: Person who didn't make their politics clear has had their politics assumed for them.

[@RixxeyG]

More and more people seem to be relying on external validation than ever, to me. People who don’t want to try something - read a book, watch a movie, or have a discussion if it hasn’t already been vetted and approved by their in-group. People who can’t seem to form opinions on their own, god forbid CHANGE their opinion if their friend group doesn’t all agree to also change. It’s frustrating and alienating.

[@shaharoztahir6669]

Its a tumultuous time in western politics Alot of people no longer have a political community to which they can throw their allegiance too I'd say for what its worth Dr. Ana has always in my opinion conveyed her ideas in a thoughtful and authentic way And I'd say at the end of the day that's what matters

[@khher1979]

People are like "Stop being an individual and using critical thinking!!!"

[@susand2729]

I disagree with you on a fair amount of stuff, but this is such a level-headed take and I appreciate that your analysis is always calm and rational even if I don't agree with your conclusions.

[@endlesssorrowfb700]

Fuck man this is such a serious problem i cannot stop commenting. That shows how much we need more videos like this, so good job Ana! Poeple are so afraid of being double crossed, fucked over, rejected that poeple begin pouring their fear into politics and the media environment feeds that fear, making it stronger. Poeple in these spaces, left or right, need to come to terms with the bad experiences they had with poeple in the past, process them, and accept that it can, and probably will, happen again. That includes me. I have been in all sorts of political groups and all i really wanted was to fit in and never be hurt by poeple again. Only once i realized these were impossible goals could i come to terms with all this nonsense and move on. I can support ME and not a political or ideological cause.

[@78deathface]

I 100% believe that people need to re-learn the ability to think critically for themselves and be able to exist and empathize with others that they may not agree with

[@BigusDickus-n6p]

Americans treat political parties like sports teams and that's by design.

[@cda6590]

If Dr. Ana is comfortable sharing, I personally would like to hear more about her and her parents' experience in a Communist country. I don't (?) think she could be old enough to have been alive before '91, so I'm guessing her parents are likely immigrants from an Eastern Block country and witnessed the collapse of the USSR while living in a Satellite Soviet State? I can definitely see how even hearing these stories growing up would influence anyone's view of certain political ideologies, but I'm glad it doesn't seem to push her away from being rational. It'd also be interesting to hear about her time spent in a "radically left environment" and maybe some examples of toxic elements she experienced in this context.

[@spetsznas]

I agree; for me, I once was very far right, as in ethnostate right. Over the years, as I learnt and dealt with my own deep internal problems, I've shifted much more left, not necessarily communist, but center left on most issues. I follow communists, socialists, and some who are more center right; what I have learnt above all, however, is that the duopolistic political system in the US, which has no real room for naunce, is making me question my sanity.

[@alexandlynnward6651]

Well done. That’s a hard shift to make.

[@Justhere99999]

As an independent who condemns the whole system but definitely leans left on social issues, yes yes yes. Labels can really be counterprodcutive in this space. Being balanced and denying these manipulative two-party system tactics is a good thing and unifying.

[@NorahAmeer]

What you said about political polarization contributing to the loneliness epidemic really resonated with me. As an immigrant, my lived experience shapes my views in a lot of ways that people my age find unacceptable, when I try to socialize and befriend people but I will get ghosted once those topics come up and I share my views honestly, it's of course within their right to do so but it speaks to a larger issue. It is also alarming to me as someone who grew up in a very religious environment where anyone who dissents was shunned in a similar way.

[@SuperSims2lovers]

THIS. ALL OF THIS. It's like you took the thoughts right out of my head. America (other places, too, but let's focus on the topic at hand) is extremely polarized in so many ways. Haves against have nots, men against women, the left vs the right, and oh my god so many more ways. It gets worse and worse every week here. We really need to start communicating with each other. In every aspect of it.

[@publicline]

We have pretty much the same views on politics, I think. And I really felt what you said. It has always bothered me that a lot of people limit themselves by the group they think they belong to. Not only is it limiting, it's also really dangerous. And in this day and age, where individualism is promoted to the extreme and social media has such a huge influence on how we see the world, it's not only shocking to see how easily we can be influenced or manipulated, it's also sad to realize that we as humans are drifting further and further apart.

[@FeuraL.]

Basically, some people are misreading words and intentions and then get very emotional about it. Some friendships can end just for mere misunderstandings, what a sad way of living.

[@onyx_mango]

8:05 as someone who lives in a socialist regime and this is SO, SO REAL. It's frustrating when people accuse me of being a right extremist when i say "yo, i live in a socialist regime and it sucks". Like, that exact black and white thinking is what is preventing us from realizing we are stronger together and that if we listen we can help each other. And right now with all the crazy stuff happening in the US i can see how it mirrors the beggining of my own country's dictatorship. because you know what? dictatorships can go in any political direction, THEY'RE STILL A DICTATORSHIP

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

It's tough not neatly fitting into any particular box right now, but I'm with you. Individualism and flexibility of ideas are good things 🙂

[@BarkyWoofer]

Wow i actually have really similar views. I notice that people in my life who really heavily identify with theyre current political view, want to cast people into boxes for not straight out agreeing with everything they say. They were not like that before tho. I feel as if they got brainwashed by it. I personally want people to take things less politically, even if they are into the topic. (Not saying that about everybody just a few people in my life lately have started acting that way.)

[@AJ-gt6ts]

I respect this channel for staying apolitical, but I also respect you for standing up for yourself and being honest about your values. I feel the same. Thanks for sharing.

[@MrLordcaptain]

I think it is good if more people voice nuanced opinions. Thanks for that.

[@loganlabbe9767]

Concerns about late stage capitalism dont necessarily imply wanting to completely abandon capitalism. Reform and regulation is necessary to prevent the phenomena that occur as it goes underregulated for too long, and it seems difficult to deny we are seeing that

[@CoreenMontagna]

Late stage capitalism is a technical term that seems to have been appropriated for other means

[@sayury]

People really should think about the "an enemy to my enemy is my ally" phrase sometimes.

[@antoniusnies-komponistpian2172]

So you're pretty much what we'd call liberal in Germany.

[@chrismaxwell1624]

Here's something I found interesting. Black and White thinking points to mental health problem. Typically high stress and anxiety. Just look at the state of the world in general. Everyone is more stress and dealing with a lot of anxiety. This I think wasn't as bad a before social media. Cause or correlation. I person think it's turned a feed back loop though causing more stress and anxiety if one isn't careful.

[@joshuabenitez3260]

After digging deep into politics for the last 8 years I believe that I now land more in the center of the political spectrum. Whereas before I leaned heavily conservative. I see myself right-center more than center-right if you get what I mean. I just don't take what either side says at face value anymore and I got really tired of the vitriol surrounding it that mostly comes from left-leaning people (although I'm sure some right-leaning people are as bad - I just happen to be exposed to terrible leftist on the internet much more.) Your points about how people go to groups that accepts them pretty much summarizes male voter behavior in the 2024 election.

[@LBPHexagohn]

Yeah I have similar experiences as a center left, or leaning left. I had to get off facebook because it got too annoying having conservative acquaintences basically calling me an idiot for thinking X thing, which was funny because usually I didn't believe X they just assumed I did because I said I believed Y. And it got annoying watching my liberal friends go full meme and being filled with righteous indignation like the only reason to disagree with them would be immorality. I guess I see conservatives take a view like "all other views are ill informed and stupid" and liberals tend to lean toward "all other views are immoral".

[@ContrastTM]

1:38 Honestly thats some chad shit. If you are gonna hate me then hate me for the right reasons

[@lsiddal3742]

I'm very left wing, but I really respect your position on this and am definitely going to keep following your channel!

[@KittyScythe]

Listen, Ana Kasparian absolutely said deeply transphobic shit unapologetically. It's a shame that she couldn't see her comments were in direct contradiction to things she had espoused to believe before, but she did experience unreasonable levels of misogyny in response.

[@ChrisMissal]

Ana K and Cenk are burning every bridge they built because they can't take criticism. It's quite hilarious actually

[@SerafinaP]

I thought she only said she doesn't want to be called a birthing person and wanted to be called a woman? Is that what you are talking about? I also might have heard her talk about sports not sure though. What things were deeply transphobic?

[@amandawiggy2284]

I admire your bravery for making this video. Your honesty and nuance is refreshing. Each comment i tried to make was addressed in the next point you made. I empathise with that shift from far left to more independant. Thank you for this video, and showing that people are more complicated than red or blue.

[@Noobsaucer]

Welcome to the barely existing camp of the politically homeless, Doc! I'd say it's nice here but it really isn't.

[@chazdomingo475]

As for doing work to overcome the setbacks of capitalism. Yes, you can work yourself out a hole. The problem is getting over the fact that you were placed in the hole in the first place. That's time you can't recover. It's part of why birth rates are so low is because younger generations are all trying to work themselves out of holes just to become stable in life. It's absurd. It's stupid. It's unfair and it's causing our society to fall apart via politics.

[@Narja23]

I really admire you for adressing these comments and making this video ❤ talking about politics is walking a minefield in real life and on social medias. I'm agreeing with you about a lot of things, and am especially frightened by the polarisation of politics everywhere 😢

[@maia6038]

I hope that even tho u see the hate comments, u see that the overwhelming majority is grateful for ur online presence and expertise ❤❤

[@aoviews]

I have been watching your videos for a few years now and I have to confess that I was a bit confused about your political views after some of your videos. Yet I still realized things were not black-and-white and we were actually way more aligned politically than when I had first jumped to conclusions. Now, this coincides with the fact that I've started working on myself in therapy and started getting rid of my black-and-white thinking, started accepting more nuance into my life and, most importantly, started to understand that I need to take responsibility. It was extremely hard for me to accept that because I've always felt that there is something wrong with the world and I'm not meant to fit it and there's nothing I could do about it - until I was finally diagnosed, age 25, with AuDHD. Then, all the pieces started to come together and I finally could recognize in myself the things that are harder for me because my neurologic development is not typical and the things that I still can do to help myself navigate. That's also when I finally did not become so agitated by people telling me I need to take more responsibility for my own life. I do still believe that there is a toxic, work-focused, hyperindividualist moral idea in the US compared to European countries, but even in the most grandiose of things there is always a sliver of truth. Thank you for making this video, it was incredibly important in this day and age and I congratulate you for coming forward and speaking about this issue! 💗

[@DangerousDonutGames]

I honestly need a video that explains this in practice from psychological stand point. I feel I had a couple cold showers last couple of years, first finding out that there are good amount of people having such opposite views to mine who I'd have never guess, then trying to navigate what I do when they express this views in a group that (seems) in agreement to them as a pure fact and not a topic for discussion, and even in a very blunt "haha stupid individuals that think otherwise". The thing is, I've seen those people being good humans and don't actually want to dissociate from them (even tho I thought about this too). I might be happy at just never opening any political topic ever again and talk about everyday personal staff but that's not realistic and not up to me. So I went to two very different approaches: just being silent, ignoring or changing the topic (which doesn't feel right and also builds resentment in me towards them slowly) or finding myself making fun of the opposite and/or advocate to a view way more extreme than my real one, just because feel the duty to protect it because of their vigorous attack. I obviously hate all approaches so far but it's complicated to find a working middle ground considering politics are not just maar facts but are mixed with emotions. It's honestly exhausting, to the point I didn't felt like socialising to any group of people I felt close to me because of different view clashes.

[@WatchesCanBeFun]

The most intelligent video about politics ever posted. I made sure to like this video hoping it offsets all the people who disliked it after they got offended. My takeaways 1. People can have good intentions and come to a "bad" conclusion. 2. The two party system causes a lot of black and white thinking. 3. Internal locus of control is better for creating change.

[@sealwhiskers3515]

While I think it's sad that you ended up in a position where you felt the need to make this video, I found it incredibly insightful nonetheless. It's actually a video I may share around with people who I think are on a similar path but in the earlier stages, as it's so well articulated and hits all the key points I'd want to mention but said even better. Wonderful job again, Dr Ana!

[@dayoldbaguettes]

sorry you had to make this video, but what a reasoned and well thought out response! Great points.

[@schmumlauf]

Thank you so much for this!!! Policy should be left to the wonks, and what's missing from the conversation is what the aim/value behind the proposal actually is. Empathy is such an undervalued and important nonpartisan value, I loved every bit of this explanation. I might just use this video to explain my own views. It's too bad that such a complicated topic can't be flattened into black/white and infographic slides