Those on the left generically are driven by the need to attain retributive justice against a society controlled by oppressors in which they feel victimized, marginalized, subjugated, disenfranchised, “left out”.  They are driven by an unquenchable dissatisfaction with the realities of terrestrial existence and the forces of human nature, stemming from a heightened level of insecurity and vulnerability that arises most probably from a weak, inflexible ego structure.

Conservatives accept “it is what it is” and deal with it.

Leftists lament “it shouldn’t be what it is” and agitate to change it.

Despite holding a shared belief system, the leftist genre does not behave overtly as a homogeneous entity.  Dissidence is expressed in differing behavior patterns by its separate factions.  The Left may be arbitrarily divided into several subspecies: The Bourgeois — financiers, politicians, judicial activists; The Influencers — media, academia, DEI; The Activists — campus protestors, BLM, Antifa; The Prols — liberals.  Democrat voters cannot collectively be defined as leftists since many lead conservative lifestyles but vote Democrat because of hope, change, or government checks.

One might look upon the spectrum of leftist behavior as a function of its subspecies:

The Bourgeois:  Perceived environmental threats and injustices lead some of leftist ideology in a quest to control their environment.  Unwilling or unable to adapt to it, they seek positions of absolute power over it — a compensatory psychological entity known as inferiority complex with egomania.

The Influencers:  Akin to the Bourgeois, the influencers seek to “change the world”, but via propaganda rather than fiat.

The Radicals:  Some react to “injustices” and oppression with anger and violence, lashing out at the oppressors, lacking the ego strength to control their identity impulses. These also include the obstructionists (e.g., of ICE), “peaceful protestors”, shooters of health care execs, and POTUS candidates.

The Prols:  Liberals, educated and affluent, they do not personally seek power, influence, or retributive violence.  Driven primarily by “id guilt”, they deal with society’s — and their own — oppressive evils by projecting an aura of virtuousness and moral certitude, giving lip service to the oppressed (BLM posters, pride flags).  They look to the state and the Democrat party for activism and security.

The heterogeneity of the left lies at the root of the current chaos within the Democrat party.  Its progressive radicalization and its failure to thwart the Trump agenda and allay their TDS has severely eroded its appeal to more moderate liberals, potentially eroding voter support.  We can only hope that this situation worsens.  Maybe strength doesn’t lie in diversity after all.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.