Why Do They Hide?

.
Selwyn Duke at Intellectual Conservative asks the very revealing question, "Why Liberals get defensive as soon as you expose their beliefs?". No, he doesn't mean when you expose the lies, or the discrepancies, or the weaknesses, or the just plain wrongness of them. He means when you give their beliefs a forum, a stage, a spotlight.

Duke suggests that it is insecurity in their "belief". That either they really don't believe in what they claim they do, or it is a matter of faith rather than reason, and thus they cannot defend them.

Another behavior that stems from this same insecurity is that Liberal anger which explodes the minute they are faced with a Conservative opinion—or even just a person they know has Conservative opinions. Apparently, the very existence of such people threaten the shaky, emotional foundations of their Liberal point of view.

I have seen it first hand...I know people that regularly manifest this response. At the first suggestion of a Conservative argument or idea, they have a temper tantrum...and "don't want to talk about it".

Now, this is usually couched in expressions of not wanting to "fight" about it...as well as the implication that I want to instigate an unpleasant argument. Even though I never do. The mere talking about it infuriates them.

And when I explain my position on issues, I'm accused of being a "know-it-all" who is treating them like ignoramuses...presuming they need to be instructed in the correct way to think.

I have taken this to heart in the past, wondering if I adopt some sort of "tone" or attitude that is arrogant or pretentious or smug or snotty or aggressive...even though I certainly never felt that way.

Now I get it. It's not me at all.

Their positions are not logically defensible. So they must not be debated. Thus debate, or even discussion must be forcefully and instantaneously shut down.

And any attempt to debate or discuss them feels like an attack. And feeling attacked generates anger.

But why? I don't get mad when they disagree with me. I don't feel attacked when they announce that my positions are wrong. I don't react with anger if someone brings up politics. I sort of enjoy it.

I think it's because most of my positions can be defended logically. I don't mean that I'm necessarily RIGHT...just that I can trace the paths of thought that got me where I am, and can identify the building blocks of the edifice I've built.

And I'm perfectly willing to be converted if the logic and truth of the "other side" is better than my own. I can prove it. I WAS a Liberal, until I saw that the logic and truth of Conservatism is far superior to the sloppy emotionalism of Liberalism.

They convinced me. Now I'm a Conservative.

I don't understand believing something despite logic, truth and reason...so it's very perplexing for me. And being rebuffed and accused of being pushy and aggressive when addressing one of these "off-limit" subjects has caused a certain hurt and confusion. I've mostly just tried to avoid them to keep the peace, but one often stumbles on them unawares...because if you think the way I do, you cannot always predict with accuracy what subject will be a land mine in the Liberal landscape.

The Gunslinger
.