The preacher, prosecutor, and politician.
We naturally categorize ourselves into different groups based on the beliefs we hold. Politics, religion, education, sports, and the list goes on. It is said that we should be willing to loosen the grip we have on our beliefs. Because part of being a well-adjusted level-headed individual is being willing to be open-minded to other perspectives and opinions. To a certain extent, yes, I think that is true. We all can be a little more open-minded and should allow for more context and diversity of thought in our lives. There is nothing negative that will ever come from being willing to do that. By the same token, there can be a lot said for someone who doesn’t have firmly held beliefs about anything. If I am being honest, I would rather associate myself with an individual who I may not agree with, but they have conviction about the beliefs they hold. I will respect those opinions as long as they have taken the time to understand clearly why they think that way and can communicate that effectively.
What is not talked about often enough is why we naturally gravitate to putting ourselves into groups based on these beliefs and viewpoints. We all live our lives in groups, and these groups have a profound impact on our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Groups constrain us, guide us, and sustain us. Joining groups satisfies our need to belong, gain information and understanding through social comparison, define our sense of self and social identity, and achieve goals that might elude us if we worked alone. We were not made to live in solidarity. Even extreme introverts need to feel some sort of belonging and need a jolt of human interaction every once and a while.
The thing about beliefs and the groups we associate with is we are constantly trying to defend the point we are trying to get across or the value that we hold near and dear. If we are being honest, even if we don’t say it out loud, secretly one of our main goals in being in these groups is convincing the group opposite of us that they are wrong and that we are right. My favorite bias is the “I’m not biased” bias, in which people believe they are more objective than others. According to Adam Grant in his book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, he says that smart people are more likely to fall into this trap. The brighter you are, the harder it can be to see your own limitations. It turns out, being good at thinking can make you worse at rethinking.
Political scientist Phil Tetlock discovered something peculiar when it comes to the beliefs we hold. As we think and talk about these things we often slip into the mindset of one of three professions, preachers, prosecutors, and politicians. In each of these modes, we take a particular identity and use a certain set of tools within that identity.
Preachers ‘have seen the light,’ and are on a mission to share with the normal folks what’s been revealed to them. Our ideas are sacred and can’t be argued against, so we’re on a mission to let everyone know what the real truth is. You’ve drunk the intellectual Kool-Aid, and now your job is to serve it.
As a prosecutor, it’s all about proving you’re right by destroying your opponent’s argument through cold logic, piece by piece. It’s about winning your side of the case.
The politician mindset is all about pandering to your group or constituency. Your aim is to stay in good standing with a particular audience you want support from, and then argue for points that help you stay in power. You need to lobby for their buy-in.
Once again, there is absolutely wrong with having strongly held beliefs and being a part of groups that align with those beliefs. It is a part of the human experience and what makes us the miracle that we are. Yes, I still hold that we all need to revisit those beliefs now and again and allow for more context and diversity of thought in our lives. But what I really want to challenge you to do is evaluate how you want to be heard. We care so much about the beliefs we hold and often don’t make a second thought about how we are communicating those beliefs. Are you a preacher, prosecutor, or politician? If so, how has that helped convey your message? I would venture to guess not very well, especially to the people that really matter to you.