I usually describe myself as politically liberal (both socially and economically). This is because I believe in individual freedom, the free expression of individuality, and self-responsability for one's behaviour and choices.
Nonetheless, in my personal life I behave in a rather conservative way (which is my right within a liberal society). In other terms, I am free to live my life the way I want without anybody telling me what is good or bad for me, but I decide on my own to behave in a way that matches what conservatives usually want to impose on others : I don't smoke, I don't use drugs, I hardly drink alcohol, I dislike body piercings and tattoos, I dress in a sober and rather conservative way, I like classical arts (for almost anything from architecture to music), I speak in a more formal than informal way, I don't eat unhealthy food, I dislike messy or noisy environments, I like committed monogamous relationships rather than casual sex, I feel personally uncomfortable towards homosexuality...
In the USA, I could almost be called a "conservative upper-middle-class WASP", except than I am not Protestant or even religious (the Anglo-Saxon part is debatable, but in any case Germanic).
Yet, I am a liberal because I am tolerant of other people's lifestyles. I am not gay, and I wouldn't like to see two men kissing in the street, but I as a convinced liberal I will defend the right of gay people to get married or have the same legal rights as heterosexual people. I would never have a body piercing or tattoo, but I don't mind if my friends or family members do (that's their choice). I feel that classical music is far superior to any other genre, but I totally understand that not everybody (and even few people) feel this way. I don't smoke or drink abusively, but feel free to - it's your heath not mine !
Ego, the basis of tolerance
I realised that to be tolerant (and thus liberal), one has to be egoistic. It may seem contradictory if you do not make the same difference as me between "egoism" and "selfishness". I will define them this way.
- Egoism is being concerned about one's own persona, one's own problems, and one's own self-improvement, and ultimately one's own flourishing within the society. I consider it as a virtue as it is the basis of self-determination, self-responsibility, and self-fulfillment. It is usually a characteristic of hard-working, ambitious and successful people. It requires a big ego, which is the power that makes one want to struggle for improvement, be it by learning or being appreciated by others. Egoism requires "ego", i.e. one's sense of self-value, and the will to increase it.
- Selfishness is a completely different thing. It means behaving in the way one wants without taking care of other people's well-being, or in a way that is detrimental to others (or oneself). It is characterised by instant gratification without thinking of the consequence for oneself or for others. It is the basis of most vices and crimes : anti-social behaviour, delinquency, theft, vandalism, rape... Other examples of selfish behaviours would be people who abuse drugs to seek instant pleasure without thinking about their health, promiscuous people that have unprotected sex without thinking of STD's just because "it feels better this way", or people who listen to music too loud (at home or in their car) disturbing other people.
Being socially liberal (= tolerant) requires egoism because one needs to be sufficiently concerned about one's own person not to care about what others do. If you are easily influenced by others or take them as model, then naturally you will care more about their lifestyle than if you feel comfortable and confident with your own lifestyle. If someone is easily influenced by society because they lack enough "ego" and self-confidence, then they will want laws to protect them from undesireable or dangerous things. As a result they will vote for conservative parties that propose to ban them. Such people need the law to protect them, because they lack the "ego power" that will tell them what is good for them and what is not. They are afraid of being like sheep following the herd, and take drugs if it becomes "cool" or "on". People with a low ego thus become typical conservative voters.
People with a big ego will be much more inclined to accept and be tolerant of difference because they do not feel threathened by it.
The only intolerance which I accept is that directed at delinquency and crime. A society that becomes tolerant of crime is either sick or doomed (or both).
Nonetheless, in my personal life I behave in a rather conservative way (which is my right within a liberal society). In other terms, I am free to live my life the way I want without anybody telling me what is good or bad for me, but I decide on my own to behave in a way that matches what conservatives usually want to impose on others : I don't smoke, I don't use drugs, I hardly drink alcohol, I dislike body piercings and tattoos, I dress in a sober and rather conservative way, I like classical arts (for almost anything from architecture to music), I speak in a more formal than informal way, I don't eat unhealthy food, I dislike messy or noisy environments, I like committed monogamous relationships rather than casual sex, I feel personally uncomfortable towards homosexuality...
In the USA, I could almost be called a "conservative upper-middle-class WASP", except than I am not Protestant or even religious (the Anglo-Saxon part is debatable, but in any case Germanic).
Yet, I am a liberal because I am tolerant of other people's lifestyles. I am not gay, and I wouldn't like to see two men kissing in the street, but I as a convinced liberal I will defend the right of gay people to get married or have the same legal rights as heterosexual people. I would never have a body piercing or tattoo, but I don't mind if my friends or family members do (that's their choice). I feel that classical music is far superior to any other genre, but I totally understand that not everybody (and even few people) feel this way. I don't smoke or drink abusively, but feel free to - it's your heath not mine !
Ego, the basis of tolerance
I realised that to be tolerant (and thus liberal), one has to be egoistic. It may seem contradictory if you do not make the same difference as me between "egoism" and "selfishness". I will define them this way.
- Egoism is being concerned about one's own persona, one's own problems, and one's own self-improvement, and ultimately one's own flourishing within the society. I consider it as a virtue as it is the basis of self-determination, self-responsibility, and self-fulfillment. It is usually a characteristic of hard-working, ambitious and successful people. It requires a big ego, which is the power that makes one want to struggle for improvement, be it by learning or being appreciated by others. Egoism requires "ego", i.e. one's sense of self-value, and the will to increase it.
- Selfishness is a completely different thing. It means behaving in the way one wants without taking care of other people's well-being, or in a way that is detrimental to others (or oneself). It is characterised by instant gratification without thinking of the consequence for oneself or for others. It is the basis of most vices and crimes : anti-social behaviour, delinquency, theft, vandalism, rape... Other examples of selfish behaviours would be people who abuse drugs to seek instant pleasure without thinking about their health, promiscuous people that have unprotected sex without thinking of STD's just because "it feels better this way", or people who listen to music too loud (at home or in their car) disturbing other people.
Being socially liberal (= tolerant) requires egoism because one needs to be sufficiently concerned about one's own person not to care about what others do. If you are easily influenced by others or take them as model, then naturally you will care more about their lifestyle than if you feel comfortable and confident with your own lifestyle. If someone is easily influenced by society because they lack enough "ego" and self-confidence, then they will want laws to protect them from undesireable or dangerous things. As a result they will vote for conservative parties that propose to ban them. Such people need the law to protect them, because they lack the "ego power" that will tell them what is good for them and what is not. They are afraid of being like sheep following the herd, and take drugs if it becomes "cool" or "on". People with a low ego thus become typical conservative voters.
People with a big ego will be much more inclined to accept and be tolerant of difference because they do not feel threathened by it.
The only intolerance which I accept is that directed at delinquency and crime. A society that becomes tolerant of crime is either sick or doomed (or both).