Imagine you are having a conversation with a person who needs to convince you about some issue and get you to support them. What would you do if his voice got louder and louder when he was telling you about his problem, he started shouting, using a nervous and aggressive language, insulting and humiliating you when you presented an opposite opinion?
I don’t know if anyone will say to this question ‘I would continue to listen well, I would even be more convinced of what he said’. However, when this scenario is experienced in a crowded meeting area or in a program with a large audience, it seems that it works at some point, not during an ordinary conversation…
Politicians often resort to this tense and vulgar language; this communication language is also accepted by the masses… People inevitably wonder why and how.
Of course, scientists have thought about the answer to this question and have done a lot of research. According to these studies, the answer lies in human psychology.
To understand, let’s answer this first; Why does a person become aggressive, swear and speak rudely?
Actually, the answer is simple. If we are angry, if we are angry, if we feel wronged, we have difficulty in controlling our language and may become rude. Cursing and speaking rudely with an aggressive language is not the right behavior, but it is completely related to our emotions and is a ‘real reaction’.
This is the part that actually works for politicians who use this kind of communication language. Because people who listen to him and share common views, consider the swear words mixed between the words they hear and the general attitude of communication as real reactions based on emotions, coming out of the mouth of someone who is “sure that he is right, angry because he has been wronged”. They empathize more easily and feel closer to the politician who gets angry with him on a subject they are angry with.
In addition, studies show that this kind of communication language can make politicians’ discourses stronger.
But when it comes to persuasion, the color changes;
Because, defending an idea that is politically opposed, with an inappropriate language, with heat and anger, eliminates the possibility of meeting at the middle point by listening and understanding. This time, with the opposite effect, the message is not believable; The issue is how it is told rather than what is told.
In addition, the curses and insults used with this rude and angry language are interpreted as divisive language. This increases polarization; Moreover, for some segments of society, insulting statements make things worse and worse, reaching discrimination based on class, race and gender.
The abundant use of this language by today’s ‘you-us’ politics reveals that the aim is not persuasion or reconciliation, but an effort to make people believe in righteousness through emotional exploitation.
However, it should not be forgotten that on this planet where billions of people live, it is not possible to talk about a single direct and just one, especially on social and social issues. This shows us why it is so important to be inclusive rather than belligerent.
We hope for a future where the parties do not get into fights, social problems will be the subject of solution-oriented discussions by well-equipped politicians, and insults, cursing and shouting will gradually end; As people who are constantly exposed to these treatments, we wish some peace.