Seems like this is really what it comes down to. The idea of helping less fortunate people appeals to them, as long as it doesn't materially affect their lives in anyway whatsoever.
You could get someone to agree with you on all of the ways socialism can help the less fortunate and vulnerable - but if that would require them to live in a more modest house or apartment, take public transportation, and give up some luxury consumer goods -- no can do, Jack.
Is there any way to even fix this? How can you make people realize they'd still be happier and better off because they'd be living in a more communal society that actually valued human life, they just might not be able to buy a new iphone every year.
People have been taught the idea that things are only worth having if someone else doesn't have it. That human well-being in a society somehow becks to the "law" of supply and demand. This is the capitalist world view.
When you tell them you want to give marginalized and poor people the same opportunities and resources that everyone else does, this citizen indoctrinated by capitalism will hear it as you wanting to lessen the the value of the "commodities" that make up a basic decent life. To them, making more people happy and secure means that their own happiness and securities are now worth less.
My theory for American politics is that liberals act on this subconsciously, while republicans act on it actively.
Liberals have internalized this into a cognitive dissonance between "progressive" ideals while keeping their mind and solution solving skills under the capitalist ideologies.
Each and every time a social issue comes up, the liberal brain needs to somehow rectify it to not be an issue of capital. It creates layers and layers that have to be cut through one at a time.
Racist police force? But not all cops! Increasingly fascist government? Gross he looks like a dang Cheeto! Unfathomable economic inequality? The REPUBLICANS are stealing your taxes!
There's infinite excuses their brain's use to ignore systemic issues over and over while still feeling like the moral winner.
It's way more complicated than republicans who are just shouting talking points and accepting them at face value. You can actually prove stuff to them. At least ones that aren't fully gone into the fascistic cult stuff.
Liberals need like a full on cognitive rework to get past that many layers of propaganda.