What's your preferred way to tell what the populace is thinking?

[Unassuming Local Guy]

It's important to know the general public's attitude toward certain things. But how do you know what they're actually thinking? For example, let's say you wanted to see what people think about the latest Totally Real Hate Crime (brought to you by faceless billion dollar news conglomerate). Where would you go?

Polls? Polls say what the poller wants them to say. Assuming they even bothered actually polling and didn't just make the numbers up entirely.

Social media? It's a great way to tell who's buying the most likes, if anything. If you're lucky you can find out the opinions of hyper-specific cliques whose every thought you already know.

Image boards? If a sample of 50 social rejects who are probably lying to stay anonymous is sufficiently rigorous for you, by all means.

Or do you just accept that everything is fake and let nature take its course? Why worry about the unknowable, right?

 

[Maskull]

I know a few disturbingly normal people. If ever I'm curious as to the prevailing opinion I pick their mind as they have no original opinions of their own.

 

[Mariposa Electrique]

By having a man expose his penis in public.

 

[KimCoppolaAficionado]

I go outside and talk to real human beings. Believe it or not, the average person is not some rabid Twitter retard who'll cancel you for breathing in their general vicinity.

 

[Samson Pumpkin Jr.]

I only listen to state certified public opinion polling

 

[AirdropShitposts]

By comments on local news sites obviously.

 

[No Exit]

I go outside and talk to real human beings. Believe it or not, the average person is not some rabid Twitter retard who'll cancel you for breathing in their general vicinity.

I barely hear any people really talk about the big political dramas of social media. I still haven't word a word about the riots at work and even corona is barely a big deal.
The people who go on about stuff the media pumps out constantly are usually people who spend way too much time on the computer or are bored housewives.

 

[Megaroad 2012]

I go outside and talk to real human beings. Believe it or not, the average person is not some rabid Twitter retard who'll cancel you for breathing in their general vicinity.

This.

Most people are nuanced and thoughtout but all that is lost on the internet. During all this lame ass drama we're having with the CHOP, at work we've all have adult, respectful conversations about it with many differing view points and we're all still friends.

However! We did have to fire some twitter zombie recently though, my first time dealing with a creature like that in real life. Fake FTM troon with a Bob's Burgers look. In person, super quiet, not all that there in the head, pretty much useless but is busy as a bee on twitter shit talking us thinking the internet is some consequence-free zone.

But people like her are rare in the wild and I wouldn't worry about those types. They're weak by themselves and can't function too long in society.

 

[Meat Target]

I go outside and talk to real human beings. Believe it or not, the average person is not some rabid Twitter retard who'll cancel you for breathing in their general vicinity.

This. Normies have bigger shit to shovel than whatever the apocalypse-of-the-day is.

 

[Unassuming Local Guy]

This. Normies have bigger shit to shovel than whatever the apocalypse-of-the-day is.

They also don't represent the entire country unless you talk to thousands of them, which is obviously impossible. It's a fine way to figure out what your neighbors think, but once you leave the neighborhood you're clueless.

Not to mention people you know well enough to ask personal political questions in real life are probably part of your circle of friends, which you specifically chose because they think the same way as you, at least in the ways that matter to you. Almost everyone I know thinks the rioters are a bunch of animals that need to be locked up, but is that what America thinks? I'll probably never know.

 

[WarJams]

I look at the recommended searches on my phone's google search bar.

Overall public sentiment is the opposite of whatever those are.

 

[KimCoppolaAficionado]

They also don't represent the entire country unless you talk to thousands of them, which is obviously impossible. It's a fine way to figure out what your neighbors think, but once you leave the neighborhood you're clueless.

Not to mention people you know well enough to ask personal political questions in real life are probably part of your circle of friends, which you specifically chose because they think the same way as you, at least in the ways that matter to you. Almost everyone I know thinks the rioters are a bunch of animals that need to be locked up, but is that what America thinks? I'll probably never know.

Spoken like a true NEET.

 

[Sweet and Savoury]

You can't really.

The current social climate has made most sensible people reluctant to share their true opinions. Most will just regurgitate whatever is trending at the moment. Most folks have realized that under the current social dynamic any opinion that flows against the grain can quickly turn into a viral disaster and ruin lives.

No...just like any other time in history when the radical fringes have power its best to keep your mouth shut and wait for the inevitable self-destruction of the extremes. Speak nothing but fluff, your personal opinions should be just that...personal.

We've all seen how a thoughtless tweet or old blog can be quickly turned against its owner and such is the power of social media that all but the most wealthy will have to bend a knee to the mob.

No...its best to stay silent and when asked give the "proper" opinion. You can't fight the mob-mentality, as it is emotion that fuels them and not reason, and their are those out there who would delight in your destruction just because you gave them the excuse to.







Many have said that this current trend is just like the movements of the 60's and 70's but they're very wrong. The social dynamic is very very different this time around because of the power of social media. The mob rules but no one rules the mob...

 

[Emperor Julian]

talk to my colleagues and talk to my kin, my job is diverse enough that I can get even tempered views as well as batshit crazy. My kin are simular enough that I can use a layperson frame of referance. Bizzarely my father is a blue collar nihilist which is fucking weird.

 

[Otterly]

You can't really.

The current social climate has made most sensible people reluctant to share their true opinions. Most will just regurgitate whatever is trending at the moment. Most folks have realized that under the current social dynamic any opinion that flows against the grain can quickly turn into a viral disaster and ruin lives.

I agree with this. I’ve noticed a marked drop in people my age willing to share any political or social opinions at all. Some still rant on about BLM or whatever the SJW cause du jour is but I’m seeing a definite current of silence. People know they will be facing real world consequences for even an innocuous opinion,
I also notice a stark contrast in my social media between those who are retired and those who work. The retirees are free to speak their minds and they do. Their children whom I know think similar because I’ve spoken to them dont share any opinions at all, beyond the bland ‘yes it’s very warm today/Liverpool won the league’ stuff.
Nobody likes to feel that their previously middle of the road opinions are now extremism.
It’s a digital Terror.

 

[Jason Wynn]

I mostly just talk with my friends and certain family members. I have left wing friends who aren't batshit crazy SJWs, and I have right wing friends who aren't autistic /poltards. I know religious people that aren't crazy fundies, and I know atheists who aren't fedora tipping assholes.

Just surround yourself with normal people who actually use their brain and possess common sense and you'll get a good idea of what the average person thinks.