Cognitive selection fuels ideological sorting

Smart people tend to self‑select into ideologies that offer internally coherent explanations for major social puzzles; when one ideology (here, 'wokism') supplies such an account, it attracts elites and expertise, reinforcing its dominance. That selection effect matters independently of whether intelligence is innate: it shapes who makes policy, runs institutions, and sets cultural norms. — If ideological appeal is driven by cognitive selection, political strategy must focus on intellectual argumentation and institutional recruitment, not just messaging or culture-war mobilization.