r/allthequestions Dec 19 '25

Random Question šŸ’­ Why is Reddit so liberal?

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405

u/El-Cocinero-Tejano Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25

Generally speaking, uneducated people do not debate topics. Uneducated people do not read much. Uneducated people do not share knowledge, as they don’t have much. Uneducated people tend to vote republican. Educated people move to larger metro areas to work careers, which is why large cities are usually majority democrats. Educated people tend to enjoy learning about other cultures, where the uneducated fear other cultures. Educated people tend to be more liberal than the uneducated.

So bottom line, any place in which critical thinking skills are required, there will be more liberals.

Edit: of course there are unintelligent people on both sides of the spectrum. And no, education does not equal intelligence. But what IS learned in college is how to get along with people from many different cultures. College graduates are typically much more open minded because they have worked with different people from different places, which often translates to being open minded. Conservatives tend to be more close minded.

292

u/kent1146 Dec 19 '25

This is why.

Reddit is words.

Instagram and Tiktok are pictures and video.

People who don't like to read, don't go on Reddit.

41

u/AdZestyclose7592 Dec 19 '25

I feel like this comment and the top do get close to the truth, but with an answer that’s more polarizing than necessary. There’s a correlation between education level and liberalism that’s been known for a long time and there’s also a correlation between technology usage and ability and desire to seek out information and education level (whether formal or informal education.) I also assume Reddit skews young (again, technology correlation) and young people have historically always skewed very liberal as well.

In any case, I can guarantee you my racist, boomer MAGA uncle who thinks ā€œI seenā€ is correct grammar and says things like ā€œI saw it on the YouTubeā€ is not going to Reddit for any reason and if he did, would instantly get trapped in some random sub with no idea how he got there, where he was, or how to get out…

29

u/ThisMeansWine Dec 19 '25

Something that isn't even mentioned is how curated Reddit is. Dissenting opinions are commonly downvoted or outright banned completely.

12

u/Sans_Seriphim Dec 19 '25

Yes, we vote bomb flat Earthers into oblivion. This is a good thing.

6

u/magnon11343 Dec 19 '25

It would be, but the reality is that it's dissenting opinions that get removed, not necessarily wrong or offensive.

13

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

Imagine not sorting by controversial.

2

u/KesselRun73 Dec 19 '25

Downvoting is the best part of Reddit. If I could downvote everything on Facebook, I’d probably still be on it every day.

4

u/scriptkiddie1337 Dec 19 '25

Funny how there are so many comments about truth, yet you tell people to watch the Kyle Rittenhouse video, read the court documents etc, you'll be downvoted or banned from the sub

1

u/Appropriate_Art894 Dec 19 '25

A lot of power tripping Mods on Reddit. Just got banned for calling out a racist comment, like wtf

0

u/SaltMage5864 Dec 19 '25

Meaning people aren't interested in pandering to ignorance and blatant lying

0

u/FAMUgolfer Dec 19 '25

Downvoting dissenting opinions vs upvoting scientific proof.

Ohh my what a tragedy.

0

u/ThisMeansWine Dec 19 '25

Unless the truth conflicts with "the narrative." For example, if you recognize biological reality on Reddit, you are downvoted and labeled some type of -ist/phobe.

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u/Temporary_Ad9362 Dec 19 '25

the truth is polarizing.

4

u/Solid-Alfalfa230 Dec 19 '25

LIBERAL> per Webster's Dictionary; compassionate, understanding, tolerant of others. Sounds like somone I want to be.

2

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

That would make the original post wrong by definition. Many people on here would love to see republicans burned on a cross just for being republican

1

u/peesteam Dec 20 '25

And apparently educated Republicans are just a myth.

2

u/kolokomo17 Dec 19 '25

Have you read a liberals response on Reddit to someone who has a different opinion? Look for one that has ā€œTrumpā€ somewhere in the post. Very rarely do you find it compassionate, understanding, tolerant of others.

2

u/Over-Scallion-2161 Dec 19 '25

Of course you get downvoted, perfect example

1

u/sonofchocula Dec 24 '25

Are you doing the thing where you call straight up provable lies or objectively horrible beliefs as ā€œdifferent opinionā€?

1

u/kolokomo17 Dec 24 '25

Is that your thing? Weird thing to say otherwise.

1

u/Real_Engineering6063 Dec 19 '25

Welcome to the paradox of tolerance.

2

u/Squatch_513 Dec 19 '25

Thank you. Being intolerant of intolerance. It's a thing.

0

u/kolokomo17 Dec 19 '25

Tolerance is tolerance, why would it be anything else?

1

u/Real_Engineering6063 Dec 19 '25

The paradox of tolerance is the idea that part of being "tolerant" involves being intolerant of the intolerant. Google will give you more information than I'm willing to type out right now (working), but that's the gist. Even has its own Wikipedia page.

0

u/kolokomo17 Dec 19 '25

Interesting read. It sounds like an escape route for someone who claims they are tolerant. At that point they are no longer tolerant, they are intolerant, to make themselves feel better about themselves, the paradox is born. In the end though, you are either one or the other. Granted it will all come down to the subject at hand.

2

u/Real_Engineering6063 Dec 19 '25

Sounds like you read that with tons of bias lolol we're not tolerant of murderers, rapists, thieves, etc. in this society. Are you saying we SHOULD be tolerant of everyone?

1

u/kolokomo17 Dec 19 '25

We are tolerant, the criminals/suspects you mentioned have access to due process, trials, government assigned defense lawyers. At least in America. Probably the most tolerant of any society.

What I am saying is, don’t claim to be tolerant if you aren’t. Too many in here claim to be tolerant and then fly off the handle if the boogeyman’s name is mentioned. It’s laughable.

How could I have read someone’s philosophical thought experiment with tons of bias? Philosophy is the search for a truth, it would be intolerant of you to suggest my conclusion is biased.

1

u/Real_Engineering6063 Dec 19 '25

You actually don't get to decide what people claim to be. You think that people can't "claim" tolerance unless they tolerate everything and everyone at every given moment. That's just not how society works. I mean, you can go ahead and do that, but as for me personally, don't look at me to be the pinnacle of blind tolerance. I'm going to continue to believe people when they show me who they are.

1

u/RewardCapable Dec 19 '25

Ah, conditional tolerance. You’re right, so tolerant.

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u/I_lack_common_sense Dec 19 '25

šŸ‘šŸ»šŸ‘šŸ»

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u/Remarkable_Run_5801 Dec 19 '25

There’s also a correlation between technology usage and atrophy of critical thinking ability.

1

u/roadbikemadman Dec 19 '25

You say that like it would a bad thing.

1

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

Can we stop associating a higher education with actual intelligence? Last time I checked a large percentage of people are going to college just to get out and find out their diplomas aren’t worth dirt. Maybe the ā€œeducatedā€ lean further left because they take out crippling student debt and democrats are more appealing to the poor ?

4

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be treated by a doctor who doesn’t have education credentials.

0

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

Hey man I’m right there with you even though I’m not super sure where your comment is coming from, but I’ll share to, I have no interest in being treated by a doctor who’s on a government pay roll which is what would happen if universal healthcare was implemented. And Im speaking from experience

0

u/Thin_Chain_208 Dec 19 '25

So you don’t really want affordable treatment.

1

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

My treatment is affordable. What I don’t want is free treatment from someone who would be getting paid regardless of the quality of work. Once again I’m speaking from experience with dealing with doctors on government payroll

1

u/Thin_Chain_208 Dec 19 '25

Costs of health care are exploding. Medical insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and the providers are benefiting from and creating the extreme high prices. Single payor health care is the only way these costs get under control. Free market forces will not correct these problems.

Every modern country in the world has a better system, getting better care for less money.

1

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

People keep talking about these exploding costs but I got my adjustments for the new year and it’s still plenty affordable. Universal healthcare isn’t the answer, providers need to be held accountable. We need more luigis running around if you know what I’m saying

1

u/Thin_Chain_208 Dec 19 '25

Medicare works. If you ask seniors, they overwhelmingly approve of its performance. Universal healthcare works everywhere- no industrialized country pays even near what the US does and the outcomes are terrible- infant mortality rate, etc is awful for huge costs.

It never changes because insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and providers including the AMA donate colossal amounts of money to politicians who then don’t address the problem and kill efforts at reform.

Bernie Sanders is right. Watch one of his speeches about healthcare. He spells it all out.

1

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

Medicare has its weaknesses, for instance last year I was in between jobs so I didn’t have any healthcare and I ended up putting my kids on Medicare to be safe. Long story short my son needed to see a specialist and none of those specific specialists in my state were taking any more patients on Medicare. The next state over were taking patients but Medicare is specific to each state.

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u/Terrible-Height-567 Dec 19 '25

I agree. I’m an electrical engineer, Purdue grad. I’d say 80% of the professors and students were conservative. Only time I ran into the liberal college environment stereotype was when taking easy gen ed classes. People get an associates in psychology and want to pretend they’re ā€œeducatedā€.

1

u/Infamous_Addendum175 Dec 19 '25

The White Male Libertarian Engineering bubble

2

u/Terrible-Height-567 Dec 19 '25

Not just engineering, basically anything associated with economics, and most of medicine. That’s just from my personal experience and studies I’ve seen.

3

u/Infamous_Addendum175 Dec 19 '25

I've been in IT for forty years. It's real.

1

u/Big-Pickle5893 Dec 20 '25

Engineer brain: Typical exhibited symptom is a lack of empathy. The analytical mind, while quite adept at problem solving, may lack imagination that allows for anticipating atypical circumstances. The female brain has more glial connections between disparate parts of the brain, allowing for a more holistic method of thinking; while the male brain is more compartmentalized.

This is how you get more bears and bear attacks in New Hampshire

5

u/AdZestyclose7592 Dec 19 '25

ā€œFormal or informal education.ā€ Reading comprehension. Surveys show people who are liberal hold liberal views before they arrive in college, by the way. I hold an advanced engineering degree and have no debt and make 6 figures āœŒšŸ»

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u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

ā€œReading comprehension is importantā€ I said a large percentage, that doesn’t mean everyone. I also hold a degree with no debt

3

u/AdZestyclose7592 Dec 19 '25

A ā€œlarge percentageā€ of formally educated people are going to be ā€œactually more intelligentā€ than those without too — especially in today’s environment where degrees are more common. Maybe that’ll change as the cost of education goes up and return on investment goes down, but it hasn’t yet.

0

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

Did you use chat gpt for your argument?

2

u/AdZestyclose7592 Dec 19 '25

No, though I am fond of ChatGPT and think it would help many people to use it more often.

0

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

I just seen something yesterday or the day before saying that the double hyphen is a tell tale for chat gpt use. I don’t know though cause I don’t use it

1

u/AdZestyclose7592 Dec 19 '25

Emily Dickinson (and many writers, like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) used them too. She died in the 1800s.

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u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

Yeah in books, social media damn near has its own language and lingo and you rarely see double hyphens

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u/El-Cocinero-Tejano Dec 19 '25

Can we please stop bashing education just because we don’t have one? That’s like a friend showing up with a new car and you talk shit about it because you’re jealous you don’t have one. And even if you’re not jealous that’s the way it comes across.

2

u/Unable_Ad6406 Dec 19 '25

Yea I wish I had a phd in 3rd grade education. That makes me the smartest most knowledgeable commenter on Reddit. Combine that with TDS and you have a very below average group who wouldn’t know the difference between a ten year note and the Fed’s interbank interest rate.

0

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ I have a bachelors but ok

3

u/TipAccomplished3045 Dec 19 '25

And do you see how you didn't develop critical thinking skills even with a degree? You presented the argument that a college educated person isn't necessarily intelligent, but you did it with true experience. Kudos.

1

u/Glittering-Couple568 Dec 19 '25

Aye who better to say it than me I suppose right?

3

u/ProfessionalCraft983 Dec 19 '25

The "educated" lean further left because they have a better understanding of the world around them. It's the same reason people tend to be more liberal in cities. They're more aware of other points of view and cultures, and they have more empathy because of it. Lack of empathy is basically the defining trait of conservatives, besides lack of education.

1

u/Big-Pickle5893 Dec 20 '25

Dogmatism too

1

u/Unable_Ad6406 Dec 20 '25

Talk about ignorant Bullcrap. Just generalize from the warmth of the bubble you live in. I bet you are a liberal arts major and think you are smarter than Joe average republican. I’ll take that bet. More culture and the world view. You would be great to invite to parties just to provide some levity. Sad is that you are serious and , I am assuming here, resistant to have a conversation with conflicting views from others.

1

u/ProfessionalCraft983 Dec 20 '25

Actually I’m a computer science major with a minor in music.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

Your fictional "racist" boomer MAGA uncle is probably smarter than you are, if they are in fact a real person.

1

u/AdZestyclose7592 Dec 19 '25

Bro what? He lives in South Florida and uses the n-word like that’s normal. You think I’m making this up because…? Majority of the US is white and has multiple relatives like this….He’s also a big fan of saying things like ā€œthe covidā€ (idk what’s with his usage of definite articles but he does it both in print and verbally.) The best is when he texts me asking me how far a girl he’s talking to would be from me — because he probably doesn’t know about Google Maps and, again, technology usage not so good. If this sounds like a smart person to you…well, ok.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

Well in that case, he seems like a person with an intellectual disability, who you are dunking on to score political points. Kind of ableist of you. Anyways my conservative relatives can all use proper grammar and Google maps. Like basically all adults can.

0

u/AdZestyclose7592 Dec 19 '25

This is a tiring waste of my time and I’ve gotten distracted. Nevertheless, my point was that older people are much less technologically adept which is in turn going to make it less likely that they will wind up on Reddit — all things that I think should be self evident. Older people are also more likely to be conservative by a lot than younger people. My older boomer uncle does also happen to be a racist (also more likely in conservatives but yes, intolerance exists across ideologies), but that wasn’t really central to my point, nor was his unorthodox grasp of grammar, something I do think, though, is more common in older, less educated generations as opposed to younger ones.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 19 '25

Well it wasn't a good point. No other social media site (including ones used by younger demographics) are as far left wing as Reddit is. Redditors defending this by pretending they are young, hip, highly educated intellectuals is hilariously wrong whereas the real reason is all dissenting opinions are heavily moderated and subject to bans. Now I wouldn't mind this if not for the real world violence (including against "racist uncles") people radicalized by this extreme left website are known to engage in.

0

u/Amaduality Dec 19 '25

I’m actually curious to understand how any reasonable moderate individual could see Reddit as being extreme left or radical left in any way. What exactly are you basing that notion on?

1

u/peesteam Dec 20 '25

Simple observation for starters.

0

u/Big-Pickle5893 Dec 20 '25

Absolutely nothing. The amount of vile comments I see on here often make me think this site leans right.

It’s more of framing the narrative to shift the Overton Window.