Recent studies have shown that even if you’re an extremely liberal person, there are some behaviors or situations that seem to make you slightly less tolerant and open-minded. For example, research has found that being exposed to certain types of imagery can influence your perception of other people and groups.
Specifically, researchers have found that when presented with pictures or videos containing themes such as violence, death, or sex, it can subconsciously promote feelings of hostility toward outgroups (people who are different from you socially, racially, politically, etc.).
This effect is called priming, because it influences how you perceive pre-existing concepts like “outgroup” or “otherness.” By altering what you think about related ideas, you can change how likely you are to reject them.
Importance of literacy in socialization
When it comes to limiting prejudices, one of the most important things we can do is be able to recognize and interpret messages and information well. This includes reading texts and listening to conversations, as well as understanding underlying concepts.
Because negative biases develop over time, early exposure to stereotypes and prejudice can have long-term effects. Kids who learn about inequality from a young age may grow up more accepting of differences.
I am moderate
Many people consider themselves liberal, but are actually very politically conservative. These individuals tend to support bigger government programs that offer more services such as health care or education. They also believe in moral relativism, which means there is no right or wrong when it comes to morals and ethics.
Liberalism is usually associated with left-wing ideologies like socialism and communism. People who identify as liberals often want to use big government to provide social welfare programs for the elderly, disabled, and/or poor.
However, liberalism is not necessarily left-leaning. Some conservatives have used big government to promote their own ideas! For example, some liberals may be pro–choice while most conservatives are anti-abortion.
There are several reasons why someone might describe himself as a liberal even if he does not agree with all of the ideals of the political movement. It could be because his parents raised him that way, or because he went into politics or work related to promoting equality and liberty for everyone.
Another reason is due to bias. A person may perceive the media, politicians, and/or other well-known figures as mostly liberal, so he or she decides to match that perception. While this may be fine, it can influence how he acts and believes about things.
Sources: Wikipedia, The Balance, Political Ideologies, ThePoliticalScienceClub.com, TheMartinGroup.net, TheMartinCenter.org, TheLibertarianSource.info, TheConservativeSource.
I am conservative
“Conservative” is an extremely broad term that describes people with varying views of politics. Some consider themselves very liberal, while others are more moderate or even socially liberal but frugal fiscal conservatives. Others may identify as libertarian, favoring less government regulation and intervention in everyday life.
There are many types of conservatives. What matters most is not what label you choose to describe yourself as, but whether you actively work to help and defend institutions like education, health care, and democracy, and how you spend your money.
You can be quite liberal when it comes to social issues, but if you don’t believe in spending tax dollars on public services then you’re probably a lot closer to being a conservative than someone who does.
It’s also important to recognize that none of these categories matter much unless you live somewhere wealthy enough to avoid paying for good healthcare and education.
I am not a liberal
Being called a ‘liberal’ has become fashion for some people. People who use this term have no understanding of what it means to be a liberal. It is very easy to identify someone as a liberal, but defining what that actually means takes more than just using the word!
Having an opinion about politics is great, but being a political junkie is another thing entirely. Having an opinion about every topic and the right amount of passion for each one is what defines a person as conservative or liberal.
People with lots of political knowledge are often described as liberals because they know all the things politicians say and do wrong so they assume that everything must be bad. This isn’t always the case though- in fact, there are many examples where something new that comes out is a good idea.
This doesn’t make the initial statement correct however, so people tend to skip past the argument to conclude that the speaker is evil. Sometimes people will misinterpret a simple comment made years ago as current policy, which is never the same as saying nothing at all.
Definition: The opposite of conservative is liberal, therefore anyone who is considered conservative is definitely not liberal. Actually, most people fall into the middle ground area somewhere between the two.
I am not a moderate
There are two major camps in American politics, those who consider themselves liberal and those who call themselves conservative.
The term “liberal” has no official definition, but it is typically associated with policies that emphasize social equality, civil liberties, environmental protection, and economic freedoms. To most people, liberals also represent what political ideologies such as socialism, communism, or democracy belong to.
Conservatives, however, tend to focus more on moral values like honesty, hard work, and respect for authority. They may be less concerned about inequality than liberals, and they may distrust big government.
But being conservative does not necessarily imply opposition to change or evolution of systems. In fact, many conservatives believe our current system is too liberal (hint: ever heard of capitalism?).
I am not a conservative
Being called a liberal is probably one of the worst things you can be in our society today. It derails conversations, makes people defensive, and creates more arguments than it should.
When we use the term “liberal” to describe someone or something, what we mean typically is “someone who favors other people over hardworking individuals that need help.”
This isn’t an accurate definition though; it could very easily be applied to anyone with a job. People with jobs help others by offering them employment, so obviously workers are not liberals!
By this definition then, most everyone is a liberal because we all help each other out by doing their work.
That doesn’t make us any kinder or more compassionate towards individualists however, which is why most people avoid being labeled as such.
I am politically liberal
Being called political left or even liberal is definitely not a good thing in this day and age. If you are labeled as such, then you need to do some reevaluating of what you believe in and who you associate with.
Using the term “liberal” as a stigma has been around for quite some time now. It was most usefully applied during the Cold War when it meant someone that wanted peace and social justice.
These days, however, being referred to as a “Liberal” means supporting things like abortion on demand, same-sex marriage, and more relaxed drug laws. Sometimes people add “socialism” to the mix.
It can be hard to know how to respond when others call you a leftist. Perhaps they feel threatened by your beliefs, or think you are too radical.
But don’t take their labels lightly! Whether you are right or left, there are very few things that are worth fighting for truly.
I am politically moderate
I would describe myself as a political junkie, constantly watching the news to get my fix. I sometimes feel like my brain can’t process what all of the major stories are without me having some sort of in-depth conversation about them.
I have always been very liberal, but over the past few years my views have become slightly more conservative. This shift has come from experiences that seem too common and eye opening.
On the one hand you have people telling me how racist my country is because they don’t understand why white people wouldn’t want to live next door to someone who isn’t like themselves. On the other there are examples everywhere of powerful corporations using their wealth to influence politicians in order to preserve the status quo for themselves.
These companies are only looking out for number one, and it doesn’t make sense why we should reward these selfish individuals with our money and attention.
I am politically conservative
As such, I was never really considered part of the liberal crowd. While some people might consider me more socially liberal, I’m actually very economically conservative.
I’ve always been drawn to economic ideologies that focus on individual liberty and responsibility. And while growing up in middle class America, I was constantly told that I couldn’t do things because I didn’t have enough money, I needed to learn how to be smart with it, and spend my time and resources investing in myself instead of donating to other people.
So as a young adult, I made an effort to not only invest in myself but also contribute to others through volunteering and giving back. This got me into philosophy which focused on studying concepts like equality and freedom and if they are possible or not.
Since then, I’ve learned how to apply these principles to various issues to see why they work (or don’t) and what can be done to make them better. It has also helped me develop understanding about different cultures due to this study of ideas.
