Not everyone sees the world in the same way. This is one reason why market economies work better than centrally planned economies. If everyone prefers black mid-size sedans, a single government-owned car manufacturer could produce millions of standardized cars and achieve significant economies of scale. But not everyone has the same preferences.
None of this is particularly controversial. But the rest of this post is probably a bit more controversial. I would argue that most people underestimate how differently other people see the world from themselves.
I am a fan of modern art and I hate modern artIn the latter group, many people just can’t believe that anyone actually likes abstract art. Contemporary art lovers are often accused of faking their interest to appear fashionable. What’s going on? Before answering this question, let’s consider another example.
Over my lifetime, I have seen a significant increase in political polarization. People no longer simply agree with people who have different views; they now see the other side as bad people. Increasingly, people refuse to even date those with different political views, something that was almost unheard of when I was younger. What is going on here? It is not okay to suggest that people with different artistic tastes are fakes, and it is not okay to suggest that people with different political views are bad people.
I don’t believe that political polarization is increasing because issues are becoming more important — in the 1960s and 1970s the world faced very important issues like high inflation, the nuclear arms race, the Vietnam War, etc. — but rather I believe that polarization is increasing because of the (false) impression that other people see the same things as we do.
People who cannot accept that other people like contemporary art suffer from a failure of imagination, an inability to understand that other people process visual information differently than we do. People who see voters of the opposite party as evil often fail to understand that not everyone sees political issues the same way they do.
Disagreements over economic regulations or corporate taxes do not tend to cause political polarization. Voters understand that the issues are complex and that others may have different perspectives. Polarization is most likely when the issues are more personal (such as transgender rights, abortion, and affirmative action). As political styles become more diverse, polarization also increases. People often gravitate toward their preferred styles, which leaves them wondering why some people are attracted to opposing candidates. I have seen more and more differences in political styles over my lifetime.
At the same time, polarization between religions has generally decreased over time, except in cases where religions have taken overtly political stances.
Hypochondria is another example. Many doctors assume that the patient is faking an illness if they cannot diagnose it. A few decades ago, a colleague of mine (in his 40s) went to the (highly regarded) Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston complaining of chest pains. The hospital ran some tests, deemed him a hypochondriac, and sent him home. A few hours later, he died of a massive heart attack.
Don’t assume you know what’s going on in other people’s minds. You can’t. You don’t believe your neighbor needs a painkiller? How would you know? Our lack of knowledge of what other people see, feel, or taste is precisely why we need the free market.
