Liberals often get a bad rap for being too liberal, or even communist at times. But what most people don’t realize is that liberals have always been around!
In fact, liberalism was one of the biggest political ideologies in America until the mid-20th century. It wasn’t until then that conservatives took over and made it our dominant ideology.
Before that, liberals and conservatives were just different politicians with different policies. Both types of politicians used similar tactics to win an election and get votes from citizens.
But now that we’re talking about the death of democracy, things are changing again. And once again, there are no more clear definitions of who’s conservative and who’s liberal. All you can really tell is which side of an issue someone is on.
So let us redefine what it means to be a liberal and a conservative.
Liberal vs Conservative: Redefinition
A liberal is someone whose first priority is protecting individual freedoms.
This includes freedom to choose your own doctor and diet, as well as freedom to believe in whatever religion or lack thereof you want. Freedom to speak up and defend yourself, take responsibility for your actions, and share ideas with others.
Individual liberties make up another important part of what defines a liberta. More specific terms like liberty of speech, of assembly, and of press relate directly to this idea.
Understand their impact
The other thing you need to know about the liberal test is how it impacts your life. It can be difficult to assess whether or not you are more liberal than most people, but here are some things you can look into to determine that.
The first major area where the liberal mindset comes in conflict with others is social justice. Liberals believe that all men and women deserve equal rights, which includes access to good jobs, healthcare, education, and financial assistance.
Some examples of social injustices include discrimination against minorities due to race, gender, religion, and/or sexual orientation; unequal distribution of wealth; and entitlement programs that reward only individuals who are already rich.
These are just some of the issues that arise from the pursuit of social justice. In fact, there are many theories as to why social justice is necessary. Some say it is needed to bring equality to those who have been marginalized because of their skin color, sex, or religious affiliation. Others argue that it is important for society to see its members working together instead of towards individual gain.
Regardless, it is clear that seeking out social justice is an integral part of being a liberal. Whether you agree with this theory or not, one thing is certain – liberals are very passionate about it.
Another place the liberal mentality clashes with others is politics. Because liberals strive for total political freedom, they tend to lean leftward.
Be honest when answering questions
The last question in this test is quite tricky. This question asks you to consider a situation where your friend comes to you with what seems like an impossible task. They ask if you would help them accomplish their goal, or if you’d look away instead. It sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? What kind of person would agree to such a thing?
You know as well as I do that people are not really open about how they feel. We often hide our emotions from those around us. So, when someone does seem a little distracted, or distant, it could be because they’re trying hard to hold back tears or frustration.
It’s also possible that they’re just trying to figure out how much they can say due to fear of being judged.
Running away or ignoring the problem may make things worse at times. Ignoring something means forgetting about it, which can sometimes lead to more problems later. Running away usually makes matters stay stuck for longer than needed.
Conversations become less fluid and easier to have than before. Relationships suffer and need time to recover.
So, whether or not you choose to help a friend is up to you. But be sure to be real with your decision, and don’t assume anything about them! Only speak to true facts.
Most liberals are tolerant
We live in an increasingly diverse society, which means there are more ways to identify with the liberal side of things than ever before. People who call themselves liberal now make up the majority- even if they don’t always agree on what issues are important or how to solve them.
Liberalism is not only about supporting gay rights, women’s suffrage, and affordable health care, but also about racial equality, social justice, and protecting our environment. It is also about individual freedom – from choosing your own career, through having enough money to meet your basic needs, to being able to go into any part of the country without fear of persecution because of who you are as a person.
In fact, one of the main reasons that people describe themselves as ‘liberal’ is opposition to inequality and discrimination. Liberals believe that all individuals should be treated equally, regardless of their race, gender, religion, income, or position in society.
That’s why many liberals support equal rights for minorities, and policies that reduce inequalities such as raising the minimum wage, offering paid leave, and investing in green industries.
You may be a liberal but your friends aren’t
There are many ways to identify if you’re more of a conservative or liberal person, but one of the most popular is the “liberal test.” This asks whether you would want someone who isn’t well-educated to live next door to you, or if you’d let them walk up to your first-born child and try to take it away.
The implication here is that people with less education are not as smart, so they should probably not hold power over others. Or at least, you shouldn’t unless you really know something about their educational background!
Another way to determine if you’re more of a liberal or conservative is by asking yourself how much money you feel an individual deserves for doing such incredible things. For example, what person gets paid enough for saving a company that has lost its way? The leader of this company can spend his time trying to keep the rest of the team together while also figuring out new strategies to get back in business.
He’s making sacrifices just like everyone else, except he doesn’t have any extra resources to do whatever he wants with. It is his job to bring down costs and improve efficiency, but instead of giving him credit for his efforts, other employees think he is getting too good of a deal.
You can be liberal and not political
There is an assumption that people who describe themselves as liberals are also politically active, take part in politics, and want to see big changes made by the government.
This isn’t always the case though. Some people refer to themselves as liberals because they believe in social justice, equality, and fairness.
They may endorse certain policies like universal healthcare or paid maternity leave, but they may feel that these things are already available so there’s nothing more needed done at the governmental level.
Others may identify as liberal due to their lifestyle choices such as having vegetarian foods or using vegan products during lunch time.
Some may use the term liberal to describe how they speak or act towards other people which includes doing things like calling people by their correct names instead of using nicknames.
However, these individuals may not actively participate in any type of activism or political events.
There are many definitions of liberal
What is typically associated with the term “liberal” in America comes down to one thing: liberalism = free market capitalism.
Liberalism has become increasingly popular due to the success of capitalist democracies like Japan, China, and South Korea. These nations have made their wealth through an economic system that favors strong business leaders who take risks and invest money into expanding production and offering new products and services to consumers.
Free markets reward people for producing quality goods and services and investing in businesses that compete with theirs by giving them more money to spend elsewhere. This process encourages creative thinking and innovation.
It also promotes equality; without rich and powerful individuals, there would be no way to keep companies running because they can buy all the resources and equipment needed to remain competitive.
Because liberals believe in freedom, individual liberty, and equality, most are pro-capitalist. Only few use the word socialist to describe how they feel about capitalists. Some even argue that socialism is a bad idea because it creates too much inequality!
However, socialists disagree and think that only a small group of people are responsible for making our country successful while the rest of us get poorer. We are talking about people at the top, not those who work hard and contribute to society.
There are several different types of socialists out there so it is important to know what makes someone consider themselves as such. Here are some markers to determine if you qualify as a liberal or a socialist.
Your views may not match the left wing of the party
Over the past few years, there has been an increasing amount of discussion about what it means to be liberal. Some people believe that being called liberal is like having a third leg – you never use it because it is too limiting.
Other people think that using the term “liberal” is kind of silly since liberalism is already in your name!
Still others argue that when people call themselves liberals, they are actually describing themselves as conservatives.
In this article we will talk about some ways to determine if your beliefs are more aligned with the left side of the political spectrum or the right side.
We will also look at how to describe yourself as a liberal if you are not quite sure where all of this information comes from.
You may not always vote Democrat
There are things about our democracy that can seem very liberal, but actually aren’t. For instance, some people call themselves liberals, but then they don’t support same-sex marriage or an affirmative action policy at their school.
Another thing is when politicians use strong language. Someone who calls himself a conservative might denigrate women or minorities. But he’ll probably pay for it with votes because most voters are like that too.
A third type of person who describes themselves as left wing is someone who wants to reduce inequality by giving more money to wealthy people and corporations. That’s good, but it isn’t necessarily what we should be aiming for as a society. We need to think about how many hours everyone has to work to make enough money, and whether people with money deserve special treatment.
To identify if you’re more liberal than your politics indicate, compare yourself with another person who says she’s a libertarian.
You might agree with some parts of her political philosophy, so you could describe yourself as moderate, or even conservative. But you believe in bigger government programs, less individual freedom, and higher taxes than she does.
If you feel this way sometimes, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate your label.
