|
lib·er·al –adjective 1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs. 2. (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform. 3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism. 4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties. 5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers. 6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies. 7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners. 8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc. 9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor. 10. given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation. 11. not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule. 12. of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts. 13. of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman. –noun 14. a person of liberal principles or views, esp. in politics or religion. 15. (often initial capital letter) a member of a liberal party in politics, esp. of the Liberal party in Great Britain.
______________________________________________________________________
con·serv·a·tive –adjective 1. disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change. 2. cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate. 3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit. 4. (often initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the Conservative party. 5. (initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism. 6. having the power or tendency to conserve; preservative. 7. Mathematics. (of a vector or vector function) having curl equal to zero; irrotational; lamellar. –noun 8. a person who is conservative in principles, actions, habits, etc. 9. a supporter of conservative political policies. 10. (initial capital letter) a member of a conservative political party, esp. the Conservative party in Great Britain. 11. a preservative.
Where do you see that either of these are evil? Where do you see that one is required to be disposed to all of the tenants of one or the other? Where do you see that either has a right to disparage the other? Are not both natural results of many personal experiences that have formed values and perceptions? Where to you see that either is of no value or worth?
Without liberal thought, there would be no train on the tracks. Without conservative restraint, the train would have no brakes.
The social economic society we call our civilization needs both.
Jay, it is fine to be one or the other or to have a mixture of each... but to assume that one is of value and the other isn't is arrogant self indulgence to feed ones personal ego that his condition is better than that of another, which is malarkey.
|