Recognizing your own fanaticism/extremism
No one is an extremist, just ask them. I’ve said it before and it bears repeating:
A common misconception we all have (other than that we’re good drivers) is that we’re moderate. We all think we are. After all, we usually associate ourselves with similar minded folks and since those folks are all around us, we must be middle of the road.
Well, I don’t but I’m reminded of this by Rich, who quotes Orson Scott Card’s book that I haven’t read:
A good working definition of fanaticism is that you are so convinced of your own views and policies that you are sure anyone who opposes them must either be stupid and deceived or have some ulterior motive. We are today a nation where almost everyone in the public eye displays fanaticism with every utterance.
It’s kinda relevant because some extremist, fanatic recently said:
Anyone who believes in the collective rights (or as it should be called the ‘no rights’) model of the second amendment is either clueless or a disingenuous hack.
But it’s OK. I’m comfortable with my own extremism. I fully realize that my views on guns and gun control; the role of government; the drug war; and a variety of other things are in not even close to a moderate view. It’s how I am. I’m a freedom extremist. And I am right. Just like everyone else is. They are right, just ask them.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:59 am
Given that I want to take this country back to what it once was, to the freedom it once had, and to the self reliance that was once expected of every citizen, at the very least pre-FDR, does that make me a reactionary extremist?
December 13th, 2006 at 5:19 am
What a bunch of EXTREMISTS!!!
I like it!
Blog the hell ON, brothers!
December 13th, 2006 at 8:54 am
I don’t agree that Orson Scott Card has come up with a complete definition. It’s good as far as it goes but fanatics are single-issue people. They have a cause which consumes their entire life to the exclusion of everything else, even family and friends. The Islamic jihadis are the outstanding example right now.
December 13th, 2006 at 11:28 am
“Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
I think it is too bad that fanaticism and extremism have come to have similar connatations. Fanaticism is probably always a bad thing whereas making a good/bad judgement about an extremist approach requires knowledge of subject about which one is being extreme.
I am proud to claim to be a “freedom extremist” and think that the Goldwater quote above is a true statement at all times and in all places. Too bad so many of our countrymen think(?) it to be a “fanatical” view.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
I don’t think figuring out if you’re an extremist is really all that challenging. I like to reckon my degree of extremism based on how hard I have to look to find someone who’s farther out there than I am. Alternatively, how hard is it for you to conceive of something you wouldn’t support or oppose, as appropriate?
For example, while I’m very strongly pro-choice, I don’t support such things as unconditional abortion-on-demand up until the moment of birth. I’ve met and known people who I think take the whole “pro choice” thing too far. Thus, I don’t think it’s fair to characterize me as “extremist” on that issue.
For a counterexample, take something like church/state separation. On that, I’m pretty extremist. I have a hard time imagining too much separation, and I almost universally oppose even seemingly-benign entanglements for fear of the slippery slope. Then again, as with Uncle and guns, I’m comfortable with my extremism here, and I’d go so far as to say that I think such extremism is entirely reasonable. But then, I would think that… 😉