Hate‑First Voting From Splitting

The author argues a primitive defense mechanism—'splitting'—leads people to reduce opponents to 'all bad,' then infer their own side is 'all good.' The hatred comes first, and only then do voters experience their preference as objective liking. This dynamic fuels polarization and apathy because opponents are treated as irredeemable, making problem‑solving unnecessary. — Explaining voting as hate‑first selection clarifies modern polarization and reshapes how campaigns, media, and institutions should interpret and address partisan attachment.