I admit, I do sometimes get really worked up over certain things. Things that I see destroying individual liberty. I really try to keep my temper, but as has been said "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the face of tyranny is no virtue". My friends will just have to "forgive" me if I seem a bit eccentric from time to time.
I also get anger directed at me sometimes. It seems that the things I get the most flak for are when I write about the military, cops, and guns. Some topics are just hot-buttons, I guess. When you care passionately about anything, it is easy to get worked up about it. Especially if your opinions are at odds with the opinions of others; if your views are mutually exclusive.
Is there a solution? Should there be one? Do we excuse or try to get along with those who are, in our opinion, undermining everything we are working for? Liberty, or the lack thereof, is worth getting angry over. Yet, will that anger advance the cause or set it back?
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I think it's worth getting along with those who disagree with you, simply because there is no absolute right answer to any philosophical question. If you want people to respect your beliefs, you have to respect theirs.
ReplyDeleteAnger accomplishes nothing when you're dealing with people on the internet. They will either ignore you, or they will peg you as a nutjob. Besides, it's a waste of energy to get angry with people you don't even know.
I try very hard to get along with most people whom I disagree with online, even if I know I would never trust them in real life.
ReplyDeleteI do believe there are absolute right answers to philosophical questions. Maybe not to all of them, but many. The ones I care enough to get angry over.
I don't accept that all philosophies are equally valid. Any society based upon theft is wrong, because theft is wrong. Any society (such as that of the Aztecs) that embraces human sacrifice is also wrong because murder is wrong.
I suppose moral relativism is OK with certain issues. At least, I can understand it. Those issues that simply don't seem to have an easy answer, depending upon how you define reality are examples, but some things are not open to interpretation.