False consciousness [is] the notion that people are so misled about reality that they act against their own interests. What was once the preserve of Marxists, flummoxed that workers refused to lose their capitalist chains, is now the fall-back position for the modern [left], which worries that voters cannot accurately comprehend the world in which they live.
Why on earth would a majority [support right-wing politicians and policies]? Explanations focused on misinformed voters…This thinking now pollutes almost every policy area. It is easier for a politician to assume that voters are confused about the stats than that they are concerned by other things. When batting away complaints about crime, ministers huff that it is down overall…That specific types of crime are up, and often in a way voters can see, is ignored. Shoplifting is at a 20-year high; knife crime is near its peak.
Assuming that voters are confused about reality, rather than worried about an aspect of it, can cause political peril. For all that the American economy roared in the run-up to the recent election, prices had also rocketed. Soaring inflation trumped GDP growth.
Often, what is called false consciousness is accurate but unwelcome analysis…Perception of public services largely matches their reality, according to Public First, a research firm. Where public services are good, people rate them highly; where services are poor, they do not... People in places with higher crime thought their areas indeed had higher crime. Those lucky enough to have good schools locally knew about it. Reality trumps vibes.
- “Are voters as clueless as Labour’s intelligentsia thinks?” The Economist, November 30, 2024.
The bottom line here is that perceptions are not merely perceptions. Perceptions track reality, not the whole reality and nothing but, but aspects of reality that matter to the perceiver.
For example, most Americans perceive a connection between hard work and success. Where did they get this idea? Are they gullible suckers who have fallen for a big lie perpetuated by the capitalist machine? But why would they believe something that contradicts their own experience?
If we want to understand people’s perceptions and beliefs, start with their lived experience. If they see a connection between hard work and success, ask what is happening in their lives that makes that perception plausible.
In pondering this subject, I wondered if the experience of success would highlight the role of hard work in achieving that success - and what better proxy of that experience than consumer sentiment, which rises with meeting financial and consumption goals. Upon further research, it appears I was onto something:
Based on the above chart, it does indeed look like perceptions about hard work track movements in consumer sentiment. My interpretation: when times are good on a personal financial level, people can see that hard work was part of that story. Not the whole story, mind you, but essential to the outcome - in most cases. Whether the ‘hard work’ was delayed gratification through disciplined spending and saving, acquiring new skills, or putting in extra hours at the job, effort and sacrifice were involved. And yes “sacrifice” is hard work.