The Left and the Right Are More Similar Than You Think

The left and the right are different — and they are not.

The main difference between the two is their understanding of history.

With the left, the underlying idea is that we are all moving towards an ideal future. Just keep fighting and eventually, we will arrive there. It will be paradise on earth.

With the right, this has already happened. We all lived in paradise once, but have since fallen from grace. Our mission now is to reinstate that golden age.

An (extreme) example on the left is communism, with its fixation on the future. We have to pass through different stages (slave societies, feudalism, capitalism, socialism) to finally arrive at the ideal society — communism.

An (extreme) example on the right is national socialism, with its fixation on the past. There is the “Volk,” the descendants of an ideal race (the Aryans). The Volk has been misled, but will now return to how things once were.

At a much milder scale, you can still see these dynamics at work in the current political landscape. The left with its wokeism is trying to tell people how to speak and act. If just enough people play along, the world will be a juster place. Meanwhile, the right is still clinging to a mythical past that we should bring back (“Make America Great Again”).

But these two are not so different after all. They both subscribe to a linear unfolding of history: We must move towards some official goal as a collective.

The similarities become even more apparent when it comes to dissidents.

Both the left and the right are in dire need of enemies. To enforce the group identity (“Us vs. Them”), you always need evil-minded outsiders trying to derail you. Depending on the age you live in, these might be the capitalists or oppressive, old white men. Or it might be the Jews or the dog-eating immigrants.

It should be obvious by now that the left and the right are quite similar. They both have a linear understanding of history, and they both subscribe to groupthink.

If you want to get away from this dilemma, you need to come up with a different take on history first. This is exactly what a certain German philosopher at the beginning of the 20th century proposed, Oswald Spengler. He argued that history is not linear, but circular — it repeats itself. Each culture goes through an early, developmental phase, then a glorious “high phase,” and finally a decadent late phase. Once the cycle is complete, it starts over again, but in a different geographical location. That’s why we have all these civilizations (the Egyptians, the Greeks/Romans, the Judeo-Arabic phase, the West, etc.). It’s a constant ebb and flow.

To get out of the group trap, I would suggest another German-speaking writer, Elias Canetti. In his unusual book “Crowds and Power,” he takes a look at our addiction to the collective. He observes that, just like herd animals, we seek shelter with the group. The closer to the center of the group you are, the more safe you are from outside predators. It turns out, that our dedication to the group is not because of noble motives, but from weakness. Without the group, we feel exposed.

Now, how do you put this framework into practice? Here I would suggest a third author, this time an American, Harry Browne. In his 1973 book “How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World,” Browne talks about the difference between direct and indirect alternatives.

Most of us, when we seek change, opt for indirect alternatives. Essentially, we start a movement and try to get other people to join. Make the movement big enough, and at one point, we will be able to change the status quo — or so the thinking goes.

But these movements rarely succeed. And even if they do succeed, they rarely ever turn out the way you imagined they would. The more people you get involved, the more diluted the original idea becomes; also, the more internal power grabbing takes place. Finally, you might never live to see the change you advocated for, as it takes so much time to implement.

Essentially, you waste your precious life trying to convince others, bringing about change that you didn’t intend, and then you don’t even get to see it. It’s a lousy deal.

But you are not stuck with these indirect alternatives. You can also opt for direct alternatives. If the country you live in treats you poorly, move to a better country. If you don’t like the company you work for, start your own business. If your partner is trying to dictate the terms of your life, find a more aligned partner.

All of these things are within your power. You don’t need to start a movement to bring about any of these positive changes. You just have to be courageous, go against the grain, and take action.

Of course, few people ever do. They are too afraid to deviate. They would rather stay with the collective.

Also, the collective has strong thoughts about people forging their own paths. I have been reprimanded by both left-wing and right-wing acquaintances, “If everyone acted as you do, society would collapse! You are being selfish.”

This is bogus. First, of all, there is zero chance of that ever happening. You are still caught up in your linear way of thinking about history. Groups of people don’t evolve as a whole; they just go in circles. There will always be a large majority defending the status quo, and there will always just be a minority deviating. This ratio will never change.

Second, hypothetically, what would be so damaging about a society of highly autonomous individuals? People who despise political affiliations and groupthink and don’t blame others, but take radical responsibility for themselves, while respecting the freedom of others? Yeah, sounds like a terrible place.

Their outrage is telling, though. When I was young, you could still rebel by being a lefty. In recent years, you had to go right-wing to get people riled up. But now, even that is losing its sting. Being right-wing has become the new mainstream — not just in the US, but in many European countries as well.

The last frontier, that will never go away, is being a free individual. This the herd — left wing or right wing — cannot have. You will be suspect to everybody.

Always take this as encouragement. If either group feels uneasy about you, chances are, you are doing it right. You are on your way to creating yourself — the only genesis you control.

Long day, and still more work to do. Went for a quick swim in the sea earlier anyway. And then a papaya salad and chicken with cashew nuts. It never ceases to amaze me how much being in an enjoyable environment makes everything else easier.

Talk to you soon!

Niels