re: #178 sizzleRI

Because for us ‘older’ types, our ideologies and politics are very separate and distinct from our real identity as individuals.

I guess that is what fascinates me the most. My parents have friends across the spectrum. But to pretend that my father, a legal services attorney, or my step-father, a criminal defense attorney, consider their ideologies very separate from their real identity as individuals? It just isn’t true. My mother’s experience growing up during the 50’s and 60’s as a woman, which turned her into an ardent feminist? It is a part of her real identity.

I arrived here form a link at a liberal/feminist site. I like it better here because liberal sites are…annoying. I’m glad the internet widened my range.

In the real world (meat space?) I have friends with wildly different ideologies than me. Libertarians to far leftists to military conservatives (a lot of overlap among these groups). I have been more polite when dealing with disagreements in the real world. But that is the only difference.

Well, I don’t know your parents so I can’t comment. That said, growing up in the 50’s and 60’s (post war baby boomers) saddled them with other baggage. The baby boomers are a whole other conversation.

Still, if your perceptions are accurate, you are an outlier.

The web is replete with legendary flame wars, obsessive lunatics and other assorted whack jobs that have an outlet and groups of similarly minded obsessive whack jobs.

Again, what you are describing are outlier behaviors (that is, having friends across the a wide political/ideological spectrum.

Most younger people today relate only to similar types. Facebook, Twitter, et al, are all cultural examples of that.