Via Steve Stewart-Williams, Political Breakups: Interpersonal consequences of polarisation. By Mertcan Gungor and Peter H Ditto. In current America, political polarisation is great enough that people will break off relationships. This is most commonly a split with friends, followed by family, coworkers, and romantic relationships. Democrats are more likely to have been involved in a split than Republicans - 50% more over four studies with Independents in between. They are more likely the initiators. One study showed a lifetime total of 45% of Democrats parting from others, usually a friend.
I can imagine a couple of people I know immediately saying that this is because Democrats care more about moral issues and/or that Republicans get more obnoxious about their politics so people will obviously want to get away from them. I regard both as untrue and excuses, but you know, they do logically hold together. Either of those could be a reason, at least for some individuals. Nothing logically excludes that, and it is tough to measure motives from the outside, especially as we are not always aware of our own motives.
2 comments:
Think about the gulf between vegans and non-vegans.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/510038/identify-vegetarian-vegan.aspx
https://eluxemagazine.com/culture/articles/can-vegans-date-non-vegans/
There is some overlap between political inclinations and dietary preferences.
I would venture that it may not be incompatible beliefs, as much as a refusal by the dumpee to be ruled by the dumper. Trying to decree whether the other partner is allowed to eat meat or whether they're allowed to believe in the Laffer Curve is controlling behavior.
Those are quite the links. I had not thought this through up to the point you did, but I think you are right about the control and veto power.
I don't want to narrow this to the vegetarians and vegans as if they are the only subgroup that shows this behavior. I have seen it with various fundies, feminists, and conservative purists as well. It seems more of a personality type than a belief system. But I do wonder if dietary issues attract that sort of personality, because of the intimacy we have with food.
I have a Jewish friend whose mother was Italian Catholic but converted. She grew up telling people they were Orthodox but Sephardic and could keep kosher differently. She says no one has ever questioned this.
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