The other day, a heated debate broke out in my friends’ WhatsApp group. As usual, it started with a harmless joke, but within minutes, the chat was flooded with arguments about politics. One friend, a self-proclaimed progressive, insisted that the world was shifting leftward. Another, a staunch conservative, declared that society was becoming unrecognizably liberal. In the middle of the chaos, someone asked, “But where exactly is the center?”
That question lingered in my mind. The traditional view of the political center suggests that it’s a mix of left and right — some kind of ideological balancing act. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the center isn’t about political theory; it’s self-centered. People don’t pick their stance based on abstract principles. They simply align with whatever makes their lives feel more stable and comfortable.
There is no fixed center
For years, the political center has been framed as a middle ground, where people take a bit from the left and a bit from the right. But this assumes that people are motivated by logic and ideological consistency. In reality, people care about what affects them personally. That’s why the center isn’t static — it shifts with time, culture, and most importantly, with personal experiences.
Think about it:
- In the 90s, being pro-LGBTQ rights was seen as an extreme leftist position. Today, it’s widely accepted across most of the political spectrum.
- In the early 2000s, supporting strict immigration laws was bipartisan. Now, it’s largely considered a right-wing stance.
- In India, economic liberalization in the early 1990s was controversial, but today, most political parties accept privatization and foreign investment as necessary for growth.
So, what does this tell us? The center is a moving target, constantly reshaped by what people feel is reasonable at any given moment.
The Self-Centered Center
People aren’t driven by left or right. They are driven by what makes sense for them. This explains why political opinions aren’t as rigid as they seem. Someone might vote conservative because they want lower taxes but support progressive healthcare policies because they have aging parents who struggle with medical bills. Another might champion diversity programs but push back if they feel such policies limit their own career opportunities.
A close friend of mine, who was always a strong advocate for climate change policies, changed his tone the moment fuel prices skyrocketed. “I still care about the environment,” he told me, “but man, I can’t afford to pay twice as much for gas.” It was a reminder that, in the end, people prioritize what impacts them directly.
This is why political pendulums swing. When policies — whether from the left or right — disrupt people’s lives, they instinctively gravitate toward the position that brings them back to a state of personal balance. If they feel financially secure, they might support progressive social policies. If they feel overwhelmed by rapid societal changes, they might lean conservative. The center is self-centered, a reflection of what people need at the moment rather than an ideological compromise.
Why the Center is Always Moving
The reason we see shifts in political landscapes is because people’s priorities change based on their experiences.
- Donald Trump’s 2016 Election: Many Americans felt left behind by globalization and political correctness, so they shifted toward nationalism and populism.
- Joe Biden’s 2020 Victory: After years of political turbulence, many voters — even some who liked Trump’s policies — just wanted stability. Their center became about calmness, not ideology.
- India’s 2014 Election: After years of economic stagnation and corruption scandals, many voters gravitated toward Narendra Modi’s promise of development and governance reforms, shifting the center toward a more business-friendly, nationalist approach.
Political waves don’t happen because people suddenly change their core beliefs. They happen because the self-centered center moves, driven by how policies affect their daily lives. The moment people feel that their personal stability is at risk, they vote for change.
The Illusion That the Center Has Disappeared
With polarization at an all-time high, some argue that the center has vanished. That’s not entirely true. While the loudest voices belong to the extremes, the majority of people still operate within a self-centered framework. They might lean left or right, but their real motivation is stability and comfort.
The challenge is that political parties are becoming more ideological and less responsive to the everyday concerns of regular people. The Democratic Party has embraced progressive social policies that some see as overreach, while the Republican Party has increasingly leaned toward nationalism and populism, pushing away traditional conservatives. In India, a similar pattern exists, where parties oscillate between welfare-driven governance and business-friendly reforms, depending on what the electorate feels they need most at a given time.
The Center is Always Personal
At the end of the day, the center is not a fixed ideological point. It’s a self-centered feeling of personal security. People’s political behaviors are not determined by grand ideological commitments but by what affects them directly. When they feel comfortable, they stay put. When they feel threatened, they adjust their stance to restore a sense of normalcy.
So, where is the center? It’s wherever people feel their interests are being protected. And since people’s concerns are always evolving, so is the center itself. The key for politicians isn’t to chase an ideological middle — it’s to understand what really matters to people at a given moment. Because in the end, people aren’t driven by left or right. They are driven by what matters to them.
