4 ms·

I've lost two friends in the past month or so... one very leftist, one very right leaning. I tend to be more libertarian, but pragmatic. People tend to be tri

I've lost two friends in the past month or so... one very leftist, one very right leaning. I tend to be more libertarian, but pragmatic. People tend to be tribalist in nature, you tend to lean into a group and that/those groups become your identity instead of striving to take things as an individual and respecting people as individuals. We are all allowed to have our own opinions and perspective, and even discuss and debate their value vigorously. Where we tend to falter is when we lose respect for the people who are expressing opinions that we disagree with. It's generally a combination of pedantry, anger, ignorance and disrespect for ourselves and others that leads to action in those baser instincts and reject "the other." In the end, we are worse off for it. It often feels like general discourse has been set back over a century in the past decade alone. I try to concentrate on admirable personality traits in terms of those I would deem to support vs not about on level with policy opinions. Arrogance, corruption and hypocrisy are the big ones for me, short of that I'm willing to put up with just about everyone.

gnusty_gnurc 6y ago
It's tough being libertarian in that sense that there's very few people amenable to what you have to say cause it's (at least in my experience) always interpreted as something an enemy would say. As though since what you're saying doesn't obviously line up with the party dogma of whoever you're talking to, it just gets grouped into whatever's the polar opposite. So I'd definitely agree that no matter who I'm talking to - liberal or conservative friends - they're assuming I'm left or right wing (the opposite of whatever they are).
- tracker1 6y ago
  It's definitely rough... I've literally argued against both sides depending on some nitpicky points. I generally get the sentiment either way, I just disagree on the approach mostly because they tend to encroach on individual rights. People have every privilege to be an asshole so long as they aren't infringing on another's rights. But they all seem to want to infringe on other's rights.

gnusty_gnurc 6y ago

It's tough being libertarian in that sense that there's very few people amenable to what you have to say cause it's (at least in my experience) always interpreted as something an enemy would say. As though since what you're saying doesn't obviously line up with the party dogma of whoever you're talking to, it just gets grouped into whatever's the polar opposite. So I'd definitely agree that no matter who I'm talking to - liberal or conservative friends - they're assuming I'm left or right wing (the opposite of whatever they are).

tracker1 6y ago
It's definitely rough... I've literally argued against both sides depending on some nitpicky points. I generally get the sentiment either way, I just disagree on the approach mostly because they tend to encroach on individual rights. People have every privilege to be an asshole so long as they aren't infringing on another's rights. But they all seem to want to infringe on other's rights.