Most people have a deep psychological need to feel their lives matter; when liberal institutions present themselves as 'thin' or avoid moral language, that need is left unaddressed and illiberal movements can fulfill it through grand narratives and ritualized belonging. Framing political persuasion around satisfying the mattering instinct (not just facts or policy) offers a concrete pathway to restore allegiance to liberal norms.
— If liberals learn to address the mattering instinct—through public narratives, institutions that confer dignity, and policies that create meaningful status—they can undercut illiberal recruitment and rebuild democratic legitimacy.
Jonny Thomson
2026.01.16
82% relevant
The article’s core claim—that people primarily want validation and to be asked 'How did I do?'—maps directly onto the 'mattering instinct' idea by naming the psychological need that fuels political and cultural movements; Oprah’s anecdote and Han’s story‑selling diagnosis supply concrete, communicable evidence for why recognition and status drive social behavior that can be politicized.
Yascha Mounk
2026.01.13
100% relevant
Rebecca Goldstein’s The Mattering Instinct and her conversation with Yascha Mounk explicitly link self‑worth/mattering to political allegiance and argue liberals’ reluctance to speak in moral terms leaves a populist opening.
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