Leaving Liberalism

American Thinker ^ | April 22, 2010 | Chuck Rogér

[neverdem]

With the classroom lights down low, our teacher Julie asked, "Feel that?"

I looked at my empty hands and, echoing the class, I responded, "Oh...yeah."

Julie whispered, "Move your hands closer together. Feels like you're squishing a ball."

Yep, an invisible purple ball. Assuming the I-know-this-to-be-true look common to enlightened teachers in enlightened schools, Julie informed us that we were sensing the "body's natural energy." We partnered with other students to feel their energy.

A very pleasant female student took an enthusiastic approach, and I felt energized. A guy sporting ear, nose, and lip rings headed my way, and my energy vanished.

By the end of the "Polarity Therapy" course, most students swore that they'd learned to detect people's energy with hand gestures resembling a priest giving absolution. Never did I experience anything that I couldn't explain. But people believe what people want to believe. Weak correlations prompt weak minds to preach weak theories to anyone who'll listen.

Observe.

"I believe what feels good to me," proclaimed Mr. Twenty-Something. A tiny bat darted from my physiology student's ear as he added, "The full moon's powerful gravity makes people behave weirdly." I explained that our moon's gravity is unaffected by how much we see lit by the sun. Briefly dazed, the student retreated to the protection of an air of superiority. "That's your science."

Suddenly, mini-bats filled the room. I saw students' eyes glaze and heads nod, all-knowing smiles filling self-assured faces. From basic enlightened swaggerers to lost wanderers, students and instructors in the alternative health care school where I taught for three years exhibited the most irrational thought process I'd ever encountered.

What drew me into "alternative" health care in the first place? Why did I take polarity classes? The answers -- perhaps another time. Suffice it to say that the polarity and moon gravity affairs were two of many odd encounters in the course of my journey through strangeness. I learned a great deal about liberals during my liberal period.

Imagine a worldview that licenses the student to claim to be "different" while hanging on every pronouncement by self-important gurus. The student (and the teacher) get to espouse "critical thinking" while succumbing to emotion. Neither can resist calling attention to contrived virtuousness and proclaiming, "I love new ideas. See how the echo-chamber embraces me?"

Picture yourself radiating intellectual and moral superiority. You burst with inspiration on how to run government and society -- or more accurately, how you should run society. Feel how easily you brush aside reality and seize moral high ground on issues about which you know nothing.

My insight into high ground-grabbing amoral liberals leaped when I studied eighteenth-century philosopher Immanuel Kant, who declared that "devils" can productively rule nations "so long as they possess understanding." The philosopher was right. Moral rascals make strong leaders. Kant reasoned that reality holds no relevance toward conceiving morals, which must evolve from pure thought. Only when we apply morals must we consider what's happening around us[1]. I know. Confused me too, until I nailed the liberal modus operandi: Ignore truth when spouting theory, but embrace truth that favors your agenda. Ah, the liberal "thought process."

During my liberal period, I accepted a thought process that it now pains me to admit: "I think, therefore I am...always right." I remember a teacher in the alternative health care school -- a psychologist, of course -- claiming that simply by choosing to attend the school, the men in class were "more evolved than most men." Yes, evolved. I felt proud, giddy -- which is what liberalism is about: finding a way to feel good about myself no matter what was happening around me.

Liberals vigorously guard the feel-good. And so we find that rational people who methodically weigh evidence are shouted down by virtue-flaunting ideologues. Take the global warming hoax. Pope Al, Bishop Boxer, and other Church of Global Warming officials still preach the doctrine even though their cathedrals are burning down. The grand scam marked a first: Mainstream media adopted a religion other than liberalism. The media and the Church perpetuated wacky beliefs based on bogus theories that created bogus projections derived from bogus studies. The world witnessed liberals playing in top form.

You've seen the liberal game face: anger suppressed by enlightened arrogance wrapped in confusion. Were you to try to live the liberal's hell, you'd seek relief the same way that liberals seek relief. You'd ignore reality and act as though your theories were reality. Clear thinking would serve no purpose because logically weighing data, facts, and evidence risks exposure to two nightmarish conclusions that liberals won't accept: There are bad people who do bad things, and most "victims" victimize themselves. Liberals cannot abide unpleasant realities.

My echo-chamber mates' inability to grapple with unpleasant realities startled me when I dwelled among liberals. I discovered that I wasn't supposed to let data, common sense, or a scheme's likely failure stop me from falling in love with the scheme. I was supposed to let the misplaced love make me feel good about myself.

I should expand the feel-good angle.

If during your youth you had gotten little worthwhile moral guidance from Mom and Dad but enjoyed plenty of marginally-deserved stroking, how would you behave as an adult? You'd flit from cause to cause, thriving on smiles and applause, groping for childhood's defining feeling. You'd push any scheme, speak any nonsense, and feign any emotion that might impress people with your wonderfulness -- and to hell with consequences.

Looking back, I know that I could have taken a heck of a ride had I not recovered from liberalism. Surfing the global warming scam's bow wave alone might have been worth relinquishing my respect for truth and giving up my sanity, my ability to judge right from wrong, good from bad, and success from failure. The wild time might have made up for sacrificing my integrity. I probably missed a lot of fun.

A physicist, former high tech executive, and writer, Chuck Rogér invites you to visit his website, http://www.chuckroger.com. Email Chuck at swampcactus@chuckroger.com.

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[1] Immanuel Kant, "Critique of Pure Reason," in Basics Writings of Kant edited by Allen W. Wood, The Modern Library, 2001, pp. 3-115.

[Texas Fossil]

Reason and logic are valuable skills.

But much of life cannot be reduced to those terms. The most important lesson in life is that in spite of what our ego driven society preaches, we are not really in control and do not plan our future. That is in another’s hands.

Many people spend a lifetime learning that lesson.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Here’s an example of the Left’s mindset:

Penn & Teller’s Bullsh*t: Dolphins (Warning: Vulgarity)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UEOLn9_b7g&feature=related

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link, but I need a new computer for youtube now.

[thecabal]

Gawd, this guy nails it. I flirted with retarded liberalism as a young 20-something know-it-all, and he has it characterized to a tee.

[Blind Eye Jones]

Liberalism is like looking at your finger.

[Ronin]

Agreed, and I think I just had an epiphany...

Why are liberal protests always filled with histrionics, anger and destructive behavior? Because it’s fun. It really is that simple.

Liberals are kids that never grew up and who were never spanked when they were bad. They are just like the bad boys on Pinocchio’s Pleasure Island. They get to revel in destruction, anger, drugged debauchery and other anti-social actions, all the while convinced that they are doing it for morally superior reasons - so it is not only allowed, it’s GOOD!

The contrast between a liberal protest and a tea party event could not be greater. Conservatives are adults. Try to get a conservative to throw a brick through a window and you will most likely get a shocked look. “That’s someone’s private property!” Rather than scream out or listen to nonsensical slogans, a conservative wants to hear about plans that make sense and how you expect to pay for them.

I know I should have figured this out a long time ago. But this piece really clarified it for me.

We really do need to get the kids out of the driver’s seat before they crash the car into a building just to hear the cool sound it would make.

[arthurus]

When I was that age I kind of liked all the marching around in crowds with wine&c going around. I didn’t think too much about what they were espousing. More and more I felt and saw the disconnects with reality that seemed inherent and grew more and more irritated at the inability of anyone to connect cause and effect. I cut my hair one day and shed the delightful miasma.

[arthurus]

When I was that age I kind of liked all the marching around in crowds with wine&c going around. I didn't think too much about what they were espousing. More and more I felt and saw the disconnects with reality that seemed inherent and grew more and more irritated at the inability of anyone to connect cause and effect. Then I read Hazlitt's Economics In One lesson and Tocqueville. I cut my hair one day and shed the once delightful miasma.

[RedRedRose]

Which one?

The bad one?

[Del Rapier]

I disagree for slightly obvious reasons about logic and whatnot being everything.That is not entirely true but that Mr.Roger is entitled to his mindset.

Mind you Mr.Roger if you are reading this,if you ever want a demonstration,I would be more then happy to oblige.

Take me up,I promise you will get something out of it.

Liberals are kids who never got over Mommy and Daddy.It is that 40 year old with that mischevious grin on his face telling Daddy how they’ve scratched out a car with Sarah Palin stickers on it.

Liberals managed to grab power by buying into people’s weaknesses and once they got power like power they agitated for constant revolution.Never cared about the elderly,the children or anyone else.Just had to have the sense they were living in a Hollywood movie with them as the young rebel.

I think in time people will learn from experiences or not in which case.............

[mylife]

[grame]

“I think, therefore I am...always right.”

I recently suggested my college attending son walk himself to the woodshed and reconsider this thought process as an option, considering he is getting married in 3 months. He has not responded back yet. I hope that means he’s reconsidered and the trip to the ‘woodshed’ was worthwhile.

[Scotsman will be Free]

Good explanation as to why kibs fall for cults.

[The Duke]

Liberals are kids who never got over Mommy and Daddy.It is that 40 year old with that mischievous grin on his face telling Daddy how they’ve scratched out a car with Sarah Palin stickers on it.

Liberals are besotted, bloated Uncle Buck stopping by once a month to perform a few cheap parlor tricks to dazzle the kids as a means of trying to compensate for the fact that he's never accomplished a single thing in his alcohol-soaked existence.

[Red Boots]

I took an introduction to this class, as it was touted as effective therapy for learning disabled children, one of whom I have.

It's basically Taoism in theory ( teaches the microcosmic orbit - that's the purple ball part, which most definetly is a religion) with a bunch of new age quackery thrown in.

One thing I remember the teacher saying, that back in the cave man days, no one got sick. It was just our modern culture that produced illness. I immediately called her on that, as did one other lady.

Another chilling thing she did during one exercise when some students complained. Do you feel bad ?, the teacher asked. You are not your feelings ! Direct encouragement to dissociate from emotions from instructors is not good in my book.

This program was being sold to public schools. Another reason I homeschool.

[Blind Eye Jones]

Yes. The itchy finger on the trigger of the gun pointing to your head. For example, Badfinger was a band that had terrible tragedy befall them — two suicides and a manager than swindled all their cash.

[SunkenCiv]

Imagine a worldview that licenses the student to claim to be "different" while hanging on every pronouncement by self-important gurus. The student (and the teacher) get to espouse "critical thinking" while succumbing to emotion. Neither can resist calling attention to contrived virtuousness and proclaiming, "I love new ideas. See how the echo-chamber embraces me?"

This calls to mind the "think for yourself" scene in "Life of Brian". ;') Thanks neverdem.

[Agamemnon]

I was just about to point out that the roots of liberal think, and global warming-think all go back to the worldview and thought processes that started with of Darwin-think, and then you put that dolphin You Tube thing on here crediting the super-advanced evolutionary progression of dolphins -- yes supposedly even beyond that of mankind itself -- for all the worshipful adoration that mankind should engage in as we all connect with our "inner-dolphin."

Evolutionary mysticism with hints of pantheism.

What will evolutionists be caught worshiping next? First it was their elevated sense of self-importance, and self-validation through self-exalted -- albeit sorely mistaken -- perceptions of their presumed superior intellects. But now, these self-enlightened souls will pay homage and obeisance to their "inner dolphin," all for the special discounted "made-for-you-tube" offer price of just... ~$2000!

How quiant.

FReegards!

[metmom]

ping