I've decided to start a new blog; the purpose of this blog will be to every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday post a new quote that I find, write a bit about what I think and then, hopefully, hear what you all think about the quote. Our first quote today is from one of my favorite philosophers; Ayn Rand. The founder of Objectivism Ayn Rand first started writing during the 1950's eventually writing one of the most influential books today; Atlas Shrugged.
"The hidebound traditionalist and the modern college activist are two sides of the same psych-epistemological coin. The first seeks to escape the terror of an unknowable future by seeking safety in the alleged wisdom of the past. ("What was good for my father, it's good enough for me!") The second seeks to escape the terror of an unintelligible past by screaming his way into an indefinable future. ("If it's not good for my father, it's good enough for me!) And, paradoxically enough, neither of them is able to live in the present."
I think this quote could work just as well if you substituted Conservative for hidebound traditionalist and Liberal for modern college activist.
Conservatives often talk about returning to the past and how great it was and often pass over some of the darker things from the past. They blame anything bad in the present on Liberals and activist who don't hold to "traditional" values.
Meanwhile Liberals can not stand the present because Conservatives are holding everyone back in their antiquated views of the world. Anything bad in the present is blamed on Conservatives who if they would just get out of the way we could all go into the future much more "enlightened".
The truth of the matter is that blindly following past tradition or charging into a indeterminate future doesn't work; we need to live in the present and engage in honest discussion of the big questions like why we do what we do, or what is the purpose of what we do? The gone past and the uncertain future are not the places to look for them and if we keep trying to live in the past or rush to the future we will not have the discussion of what for and why?
About Me
- Daniel Silver
- I work in the film and TV industry doing lighting. I also coach a debate club in Springfield.
5 comments:
Heh, I know a lot of Southerners would definitely fit into the traditionalist category because they hold to the view that if it worked in the past it'll work in the future. I think there's something to be said for that, sorta along the same lines as reinventing the wheel. If it was good, why bother?
"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around." ~G. K. Chesterton
Good to see you on blogger.
I would say to both of you that there are things from the past that are good and should continue to be followed but when nothing new can be considered because our fathers didn't believe it that's the problem. Something isn't good simply because it was believed in the past.
Way to not tag me for your note on this when I'm one of the few people on Facebook who also has a blogspot.
As to your post, yes and yes. Its interesting though, I wonder if we would know there was such a middle ground if the two extremes did not exist.
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