Let’s begin this piece by defining what we mean by “ideology:”
A system of ideas and ideals; The ideas and manner of thinking characteristic of a group, social class, or individual.
By strict definition, ideologies are not evil. Indeed, to have an ideology means that you believe there is an ideal and that there is a proper way to orient yourself that is preferable to the various other possible orientations. Ideology, in a sense, is how you decide how you will behave within the confines of your system, be it religiously, politically, philosophically, culturally, and so forth. Every person, if asked, could articulate their ideal within a given set of parameters and constraints. That is to say, we all know precisely what the ideal president, spouse, child, or boss would look like to us.
It is a very good thing to work out what you believe. And, perhaps more importantly, to ensure that you have a clear understanding and can articulate your ideal within that set of beliefs. That is how you determine the kind of person you are required to be if you adhere to your system correctly. However, articulated ideology introduces a problem: we can become possessed by it. I say possessed because when we are stubborn in our beliefs and closed-minded, our systems become rigid and our ideologies attach to us, as a parasite does, reshaping our identity in their image. To be possessed by ideology is to be so certain of the supremacy of our system that we become intellectually inflexible, unwilling to explore the potential that there may be other opinions or viewpoints.
If you want to know if you are possessed, ask this question: Am I still curious?
(You can also ask yourself this question when observing other people.) Curiosity is not unique to humans; however, what is noteworthy is that we can lose our drive for it, much as we can lose our drive for any of our biological functions. Dogs, for example, exist in a state of near-constant curiosity. So do children, for that matter. If you saw a dog that lost its drive to explore and sniff around or to socialize with other dogs, you would think the animal was ill, perhaps even mortally. So it is with the person who, by your evaluation, no longer seems to be curious. They are sick and not behaving at their intellectual optimal. It is an illness of the soul caused by ideological possession.
To be ideologically possessed is to be so captured by an idea that you refuse to consider alternative perspectives and are willfully blind to the fact that alternatives may even exist.
So ideological possession is perhaps best understood as the willful, irrational denial of objective possibility.
You cannot deny objective reality. Or, more precisely, you should not deny objective reality if you hope to maintain your sanity. When a person has decided their subjective view of reality (know as personal perspective) is the only valid system of belief, there will be a high degree of confrontational angst that emerges when they are challenged in their thinking; you can be sure of that. No one likes having their single-minded view of things challenged, even in small ways. However, rigidity, agitation and pride are what dominate your thinking, in the absence of curiosity.
To be clear, curiosity is not also stupidity. Stupid people either have no opinions, or they hold to their opinion too tightly. There is a place in the middle that says: I know what I know, but I know that there is more that I could know. And if you knew more than what you currently know, you might change your position. At the very least, you are more informed as to why you think what you think, and though unchanged, you are better articulated and less wrong, and this is a very good thing.
The first inoculation against ideological possession is curiosity.
Even once vaccinated, you are not immune.
I cannot see ideological possession as anything other than a soul sickness. Such possessions corrupt the ability of the mind to be rational. Further, your ability to empathize is contaminated, if not outright eliminated. How can you empathize with someone when your ideology prevents you from admitting there may be alternative perspectives and additional facts you are not aware of? A core tenet of empathy is perspective taking without judgment. Accordingly, empathy requires humility.
Humility is the second shot dose against ideology.
Indeed, a humble mind is the antithesis of an ideologically possessed mind. Where humility sees endless potential, ideology sees only inward realities. Humility, to be humble, is the positional awareness of this reality:
Mine is not the only.
“Only” is open-ended. You could say, “mine is not the only valuable opinion.” Or, “mine is not the only belief.” And, “Mine is not the only viable option.” To say “mine is not the only” puts your mind and soul in their proper station; humble and curious. Such a perspective is essential for building any kind of empathetic outlook. You do not have to agree with any single one of the infinite number of perspectives surrounding you. You must have strong values and principles. Yet, they cannot be so strong that you forget your attitudes of humility and curiosity. Such duality (between strong views and openness, for example) is the paradoxical tension we must exist within if we are to cooperate in building a better world and living the good life together. This cannot happen if you are cutting yourself off from the presence of other people because of your ideological possession.
If you are cut off from other people, if you are divided from your community, you are infected. You are sick, and you must inoculate yourself, or your illness will spread. Division makes cooperation near impossible. Division is not suitable for humanity. We were designed to be in loving community with each other. We were created to bring goodness into this world, to bring light to each other. It’s how we got this far, to begin with. We cannot cooperate if we’re agitated with each other. Cooperation occurs in simple places, like the grocery store, traffic, the workplace, restaurants, and so forth. These familiar places are where the bulk of our living happens.
We were designed to bring about only what benefits the community, only what would be good for another person. We are not obligated to decide what another person’s values and systems ought to be. You can disagree with a person’s choices without demonizing them. You can decide you would behave differently without condemning everyone else who does not conform to your view of things.
The essential aspect of this discussion is self-examination. To ask yourself: Where might your ideologies be dividing you from other people?
It is my opinion that anything that divides us ought to be discarded. I can think of no good reason to hold on to things that divide us from other people, unless it be a matter of good over evil.
Give up anything that prevents you from being kind to another person. Discard anything that prevents you from empathizing with people. Abandon anything and everything that cuts you off from extending love and compassion towards others. It’s no way to live, cut off like that. It is not how we were designed and it is not how we will build a better future for ourselves and the generations that follow.
Any ideology, any system be able to answer a set of optimistically oriented questions:
Does this make you a more attentive spouse?
Will you be a more loving parent?
Does this help you be a good citizen?
Does this increase your contribution to society?
Does this draw you closer to your family?
Are you a more responsible employee?
Are you growing and learning?
Does this cause you to be more loving?
If the answer to any of these was “no,” (or if someone would answer “no” on your behalf!) I suggest you consider the possibility that you’ve become ideologically possessed by something that should probably have remained just an opinion.
I love how you ended this article. One of practical reflection… I’d be curious to hear stories how people lived this out. To say “just change” is not an easy task, but it is a fulfilling and brave one. To set your curiosity and humility at the four front of thinking is both radical and brave…. I’d imagine that stories that lived this out would be extremely encouraging to the community as a whole