The political spectrum is a myth

I’m Andres Acevedo, and this is The Market Exit. In this essay, I challenge one of the most pervasive frameworks in political discourse: the left-right spectrum. Where does it come from, and why does it continue to dominate how we think about politics today? More importantly, is it helping us understand the world—or is it just reinforcing tribalism?

We’ll explore the history of the left-right spectrum, its origins during the French Revolution, and why the so-called “essentialist theory” of politics—claiming there’s a core essence to being left or right—falls apart under scrutiny. I also dive into research and examples that demonstrate how political opinions are shaped more by social conformity than by consistent ideological principles.

Much of the inspiration for this essay comes from Hyrum and Verlan Lewis’s excellent book, The Myth of Left and Right, which I highly recommend if you’re curious to dive deeper into this topic.

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📺 Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Chapter 1 – Where the left-right spectrum came from
03:58 Chapter 2 – Political astrology: The essentialist theory of politics
07:27 Chapter 3 – Political tribalism: The social theory of politics
10:02 Conclusion – So where does this leave us?
13:20 Thank you

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