Threshold events can propagate collective political emotions

Evidence

If political change doesn’t happen through events alone, there are nevertheless moments which function as thresholds, opening up a new terrain of struggle, and allowing different collective emotions to propagate. While — for the sake of our fragile collective mental health — we shouldn’t get too carried away by the Oxi vote last week, we shouldn’t underestimate its significance either. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 1955

Categorization

• QUESTION: Fisher’s distinction between ordinary events and ‘threshold’ events that open new terrain of struggle could be worth pressing on — when exactly does an event become a threshold, and is that only knowable in retrospect?
• XREF: connects to: Political emotion splits into anxiety and enthusiasm systems that adapt to campaign pressure — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1671; Heightened political emotions can be captured by party cartels — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics: Extreme Politicization…, 27; Ritual uncertainty-navigations can channel negativity into collective political sabotage — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities: Living With…, 347 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Intergroup bias peaks during moments of intense group emotion #corroborates (0.76)
• Political emotion splits into anxiety and enthusiasm systems that adapt to campaign pressure #expands (0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 1671
• Ritual uncertainty-navigations can channel negativity into collective political sabotage #exemplifies (0.74) — Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou, Speculative Communities, 347
• Pan-movements united members through mood rather than defined political goals #exemplifies (0.73) — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 574
• Heightened political emotions can be captured by party cartels #complicates (0.72) — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics, 27
• Group emotions fluctuate on short timescales unlike stable stereotypes #qualifies (0.72) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2285