Ideological Passion and Denialism
Question: How much of people’s ideological passion is actually explainable as a reaction-formation produced by denialism today?
Answer:
A significant portion of ideological passion today—especially the most rigid or moralizing forms—can be explained as reaction formation rooted in denialism.
Reaction formation is a defense mechanism where a person adopts extreme or exaggerated beliefs or behaviors to cover up unconscious conflicts or unacceptable truths. In the current context, that often means projecting certainty or righteousness to suppress deep unease about
reality.
1. Climate and Ecological Denial
People who know—on some level—that the planet is heading toward collapse may respond not by accepting limits but by doubling down on consumerism, nationalism, or techno-utopianism.
Passion for “economic freedom” or hostility to “climate alarmism” often masks anxiety and helplessness.
2. Identity Politics (Right and Left)
On both sides, intense focus on identity markers or purity tests can distract from shared vulnerability, declining trust, and institutional decay. The reaction formation shows up in moral certainty and rage, which mask grief, insecurity, or loss of control.
3. Authoritarian and Populist Movements
The louder the talk about strength, tradition, or greatness, the more likely it’s covering fear—of decline, of complexity, of unfixable systems. That fear is rarely faced directly. Instead, it’s displaced onto scapegoats or wrapped in cultural nostalgia.
4. Techno-Evangelism and AI Hype
Much of the breathless optimism around AI, biotech, and space exploration serves to deny the collapse of older myths—progress, human supremacy, infinite growth. Passion for “the future” often conceals despair about the present.
Conclusion
Denial of ecological, social, and existential truths fuels reaction formations that manifest as ideological fervor. One might say that these passions block understanding because they’re not really about what they claim to be—they’re responses to unacknowledged suffering.
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