• Gorilladrums@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    This is the case for most people. People change their opinions when they’re personally affected because first hand personal experience is as real as its going to get.

    • T00l_shed@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Anyone who has empathy can see how bad things are for others without going through it themselves though

        • T00l_shed@lemmy.world
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          2 days ago

          Sure, but the definition is about putting yourself in others shoes. If someone said “let’s lock up all (ethnicity)” and you can’t imagine how shitty it is to be locked up due to ethnicity, then you got a problem

          • Gorilladrums@lemmy.world
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            6 hours ago

            Sure, but let me give you the same example but in a different context.

            Let’s suppose that instead of “let’s lock up everyone from this ethnic group”, a politician says “let’s stop illegal immigration”. Stopping illegal immigration is a perfectly rational, reasonable, moral stance to have. If someone hears the latter phrasing, they might take it at face value even if the politician really means the former. Thus, this individual has come to indirectly support the former even though they think they’re supporting the latter. The end result is the same because the politician’s intentions never changed, however, the morality of this individual is no longer as black and white as in your example.

            • T00l_shed@lemmy.world
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              5 hours ago

              And if said person can see what is happening, for example with ICE, and they don’t question what is going on, after gaining an understanding, then its right back to being as black and white

              • Gorilladrums@lemmy.world
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                5 hours ago

                But you’re making the assumption that it’s inevitable to gain an understanding. I think you’re underestimating the sheer levels of ignorance that people like this live under. Some people are so ignorant that their only sources of information are Facebook and Fox News, and so they only ever see one perspective, and that perspective is their truth. Their perspective, their truth, is basically whatever Trump says taken at face value and regurgitated by right wing media.

                • T00l_shed@lemmy.world
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                  4 hours ago

                  And there is a certain level of responsibility that everyone has when it comes to educating oneself. It doesn’t absolve them