#voltspodcast

[thefutureofwatt]

Since I mentioned systems in my initial post, I'm sharing this fascinating discussion on systems justification. It’s a good listen for anyone wanting to make a change to understand and anticipate what friction they may/will encounter. More about the episode:

Noted psychologist, researcher, and author John Jost of New York University offers an explanation: people have very strong psychological needs that weigh against thinking of themselves as subjugated victims; they crave certitude, closure, safety, and predictability. They are inclined, for these reasons, toward what is called “system justification.” As Jost writes, “people are motivated (often unconsciously, without deliberate intention or awareness) to defend, justify, and bolster aspects of the status quo, including existing social, economic, and political institutions and arrangements.”

The tendency to justify unjust systems is pervasive, even and especially among the people those systems treat worst. This means that everyone working for positive change is starting behind the eight ball, rolling a rock up a hill.

I read Jost’s two recent books — A Theory of System Justification and Left and Right: The Psychological Significance of a Political Distinction — earlier this summer and I've been thinking about them ever since, so I'm thrilled to talk to him about the evidence for system justification theory, the way it is distributed among conservatives and liberals, and ways those seeking change can work around it.

I highly recommend the Volts podcast, which covers the climate crisis and leaving fossil fuels behind. David often interviews politicians, analysts, innovators, and activists about the latest progress in the world's most important fight.