Why is it so easy to signal things like wokeness, left-leaning, or right-leaning, but so hard to signal the pursuit of meaning, building something that will last, or that you're a hopeless romantic?
Widespread performances are easy to emulate
It’s hard to believe someone re: deeper emotions when you can’t see their face
Choice of headgear and accessories is key- for example, a beret and candelabra, or deep sea diving helmet and speargun will help you stand out from the crowd and find your tribe. Good luck on your quest, fellow traveler.
Political ideologies are easy to signal because all you have to do is speak the same language, share the same articles, and carry the same values of the desired in-group of your choice. Embracing tribalism is just an easier way to develop our sense of identity, which influences what we end up signaling to the world.
I’d imagine it’s a theater vs drama thing (in a James Carse sense). The former has a script and is largely meant to be performed, with winners and losers, right and wrong. The latter is a present-moment, first-person experience that unfolds indefinitely. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finite_and_Infinite_Games
The former is easy while the latter takes work, and most people don't want to do the work (see "the man in the arena")
It's easy to dole out shibboleths and rally the troops with phrases a Markov chain can generate (I've even experimented with this to disturbing success), but a Markov chain can't write a business plan, wax philosophical about an issue, or speak from the heart
To add to @morereese's point: life is ambiguous, confusing. Meaning and long-term views add to that ambiguity. Our little human brains want clarity, certainty, black and white - and so extreme views provide that direction many hopelessly seek in other parts of their lives.