Like-Minded People Don't Exist!

The idea of "like-minded people" often suggests a comforting notion: that we naturally gravitate toward those who share our beliefs, values, or perspectives. It’s a myth in the sense that it oversimplifies human connection and assumes a level of uniformity that rarely exists in reality. Even among people who seem aligned—say, in politics, religion, or interests—there’s usually a messy spectrum of differences beneath the surface. Studies on social psychology, like those exploring group dynamics or confirmation bias, show we’re drawn to similarity because it feels validating, not because it’s inherently true or absolute.

Take online communities, for instance. People flock to echo chambers—subreddits, X circles, whatever—thinking they’ve found their tribe. But dig into the conversations, and you’ll see fractures: disagreements over nuances, competing priorities, or just plain old personality clashes. The myth persists because we crave belonging, and our brains are wired to filter out dissonance. Yet, the data backs this up—surveys like those from Pew Research on polarization show even within tight-knit ideological groups, unity is more illusion than fact.

On the flip side, the myth has a kernel of truth. Shared goals or experiences can forge real bonds—think wartime camaraderie or fandoms rallying around a cause. But "like-minded" doesn’t mean identical. It’s more like overlapping Venn diagrams than a perfect circle. The danger is when we buy into the myth too hard, expecting everyone in “our group” to think lockstep with us. That’s when you get cultish vibes or brittle alliances that collapse under scrutiny.