A depressive progressive

My grandmother had my family and my cousins over to dinner this evening. Somehow I got so tense I ended up in horrible endo pain. I think I was really hoping for some good conversation, and we only talked about banalities. That’s what brought the pain. Stress over thwarted expectations.

I’m starting to realise how large the gulf is between myself and the rest of my family. Well, apart from my brother, but he’s overseas. I think our values are almost opposite. My uncle and aunt, and probably my cousins, are progressives like me, but the rest are conservatives.

I’m reading a book about the differences in the values of progressives and conservatives. (Moral Politics, by George Lakoff) Care and co-operation versus strength and domination. As I read it, the clearer the picture becomes. It fits. This is me; that is them. This I love; that I deplore. My world; their world. The gulf widens. The more I read, the more depressed I become.

The sad thing is, it seems as though there’s nothing to discuss any more. It’s as though all the debates have been had, and everyone’s picked a side. There’s nothing more for the brain to chew on. We’re just waiting for the battle. Until that’s settled, there’s nothing new to talk about.

Elm

November 24, 2006

Sounds like the book is probably biased to attempt to make the two factions irreconcilable, the focus probably doesn’t shift towards the overlapping similarities, and of course, each generation has values separate to the previous. Progressive is a bit of an impossibility if you have any genuine views, because it implies that one is prepared to entirely

change their values should the opportunity arise, which implies there was a lack of conviction in the previous beliefs. Though Im certainly not saying that your values are not worlds a part from your family members, chances are

they are. Im guessing it is a bit leftist? The peculiar position to being adamantly open minded and militantly opposed to conservatism its not hypocritical its absurd. You should be wary of any book which attempts to simplify and make difference irreconcilable, regardless of the greater agenda. Be well.

oobi

November 25, 2006

i reached that point in my early 20’s when i realised that i just had to separate myself from the rest of my family on my father’s side. they are all racist and bigots and ultra conservative. sorry to rave on about me, but i have a point. maybe it’s time you broke free from them and set out on your own, make your own family.

Ahoy, thats why me sails the open seas, gar!

the divine miss m

RYN: yeah, grad jobs suck, actually all jobs that aren’t offered to me suck 😛 and sorry to hear about your family. just ignore them as much as possible and create a surrogate family 🙂