Why I Feel Sorry for Liberals

Why I Feel Sorry for Liberals

First off, I’m not a conservative or liberal. Let’s get that out of the way. My thought is that moderates make for the best leaders. In fact, I would venture to say that moderates are the only ones who have made any real, positive, lasting impacts on the world. Notice I said “lasting” and “positive” in that statement. There are plenty of people who have had fleeting and negative influences, but who needs that? Think about it for a moment. Let’s take politics. Abraham Lincoln, arguably one of the most impactful leaders in our nation’s history—moderate. In terms of civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr.—moderate. This even applies to religion.

Our world is one that throws around words with little regard to their meaning. The words “love” and “hate” lose their meaning when we use them so easily. You do not “love” your favorite food or song. You like it very much, but that’s all. You do not hate a TV show or clothing brand. You dislike it, but that’s it. With that I will tell you, I do not “hate” liberals. In fact, I feel sorry for these individuals. “Why?” you may ask. Well, it’s really a simple idea.

My personal experience tells me that while nothing may apply to an entire group (generalizing), some things are a common trait among groups. Good or bad, that’s probably partially why stereotypes exist. In the case of these people, it seems as if no matter what is going on in the world, they can never be happy or really satisfied. Sure, there are times of joy and laughter, but there is always something missing. Much like the idea of a tortured artist, there is a certain longing to be miserable. There has to be something to be upset about; and if there isn’t, they don’t know what to do to fill the hole. In these scenarios, they have to create something to be upset about. Political correctness is a common feature of this viewpoint. Some may even go as far as to consider the liberal mindset as intrinsically masochistic.

When we make a big deal about things like which pronouns we use or whether or not to stand for the playing of the "Pledge of Allegiance" at sporting events, it is usually a pretty good indication that we don’t have any major problems to focus on. These “invented” issues pop up when things are going well, but the need to be upset still has to be met.

What passes for liberalism today would have likely been an embarrassment to classic liberal thought. For a long time, the notion of liberalism was associated with open-mindedness. But in our current culture, this approach accepts freedom of speech and freedom of thought, but only so long as those words and thoughts are in agreement with their set viewpoint. If they vary from it, they must be called out as racist, divisive, hateful… and shut down.

In many ways, it seems more authentic to consider those further to the political right as open-minded. You may have chocked a bit when you read that, but let me explain. One cannot be truly open-minded without being open to the possibility of being wrong. And while most people who align with the political right, and certainly those who consider themselves in the center, are open to being incorrect, many on the left are not.

In my own life, I’ve been incorrect about a number of things and have learned and accepted it. But, I can’t say the same for most liberal people. It’s just truly sad and disheartening.