Do you think extreme bias is a sign of one being manipulated?

I often noticed extremists are very closed to new ideas outside their belief system and even unwilling to debate with other people ideas on how to realistically make their ideals be realized. Even very bias against facts that do not fit within their world view.


Is this a sign of manipulation or a sign of something else?


Why do people end up this way and how?|||Good Question! The best one yet on this Channel!





I have my theories. I caution that they are based on observation and interpretation of academic fact.





What little I know of Conflict theory states that individuals spend lifetimes trying to develop a sense of identity. If this identity is challenged or threatened, its akin to a psychological version of physical threats. You're entire perception and world is based on your identity! People react very strongly when the values, knowledge, and morals they are brought up with are "under threat."





This could be things like White, Middle American values threatened by minorities, minority culture threatened by the majority, etc.





Your first instinct when under threat is to cling even more vigorously to what you know. Then, lash out when you feel cornered.





As you can see there is a fine line between physical and psychological fight or flight. That's why many of these extremists go from angry to violent very quickly.





Also, I'm sure the adrenal response from this state of mind significantly inhibits higher cognitive function and abstract analysis(which would lead them to understand their biases may be wrong, but thats my little theory). These adrenal responses lead to the parasympathetic release of pleasure neurotransmitters... giving individuals pleasure-reward feelings in their brain for feeling this way. That means that they can easily become addicted to this train of thought, and it reduces the pleasure of thinking in other ways.





Its tough, but its in our nature. Its self preservation at its oddest. Heck, even I am challenged to keep an open mind at times. But I try.That|||Extreme bias is the most effective coping mechanism when dealing with a complicated world.|||It is mainly just cognitive dissonance.|||Normally i would answer the media. but i dont think it encompasses the entire problem.


I honestly believe most people are a product of their environment.


Because what is Radical or extreme left or right to one family is still unheard of to another.


Why do Burmese monks protest the Leaders of Government but not thier government?


Buddhism is totally justified through communistic believes on paper.


However Communism is completely shunned in a capitalist state.


So a person who never has experianced any form of religion, can easily claim Eating the blood and Body of christ is insane, compared to a Devout christian who feels life without a higher power is


empty and hollow, even tho niether of these people could ever been effected by media.


I also feel intelligence is a deciding factor in being allowed to distract or distort public images , and perceptions of political and religious views.|||It's hard to determine which is the cause and which is the effect in my opinion. Whether one becomes extremely biased through manipulation, or one is easily manipulated due to their extreme bias, is not an easy judgment to make. However I will say they go hand in hand, at least in regards to political extremism and bias.|||Definitely, it's manipulation. The media perpetuates bias. They want us to fight because they know that as long as they keep us separated on a psychological level, we will never stand and fight. If each person who has a biased outlook would only meet individuals from the group towards which they hold biased views, they would realize that they're bias is unfounded.|||The media is being manipulated by The Obama Regime. They enjoy being manipulated.|||YA is just a place to vent for most , not looking for solutions ! Maybe there is a website for grownups , don't know ........