But there isn’t just one spectrum; at the very least, there’s a quadrant grid, with policy goals on one axis and temperament on the other. The x-axis ranges from a fully planned economy to anarcho-capitalism; the y-axis ranges from solicitous Socratic dialogue to misanthropic bullying. They vary independently.

The Post-Dirtbag Left

This was a great article, but the quote above really stood out. I think we’ve fallen into this trap when it comes to vulgarity, call out culture, or tone-policing where it’s become difficult to talk about the impact of temperament. But the idea that we can think about temperament as a dimension within our political leanings, expression, and affiliation is powerful. It is on this access that we can understand the schisms between Warren and Sanders while also recognizing there are far more radical figures than either on other dimensions of policy.

I fall pretty far from the misanthropic bullying side of the temperament axis, while recognizing that I may have a quite a bit in common with those folks from a policy perspective. The whole Dirtbag Left phenomenon may be of my generation and gender, but it left me, and the people I associate with, far behind.