Yesterday at history club a gentleman informed me he was the token liberal in the group. He and his wife had been traveling for the past seven months so it was my first encounter with him.
After declaring his liberalism he was quick to add that he was anti-abortion and pro 2nd amendment. Um, okay.
My suspicion is always aroused when someone is so hasty to declare themselves in an almost confrontational manner with not a clue about the person to whom they are speaking and apparently no desire to find out.
Finally I asked him what he believed that made him define himself as a liberal.
He sat there for many minutes and if he had a trapdoor in his forehead I could have popped it open and witnessed the wheels of his mind churning at warp speed. It was clear no one had ever asked him that before because he finally answered, "I don't really know."
I was not the teeniest bit surprised since my rather uncharitable view of today's average self-declared liberal is someone who simply parrots the party line without giving due thought or consideration to the subject at hand. They are the human equivalent of a walking talking meme.
Two Minute Elevator Speech
Anyone who has ever been in sales knows what an elevator speech is and has taken the time to craft one.
An "Elevator Pitch" is a concise, carefully planned, and well-practiced marketing message about your professional self that your mother should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator. It should contain a “hook” or “theme” and go no longer than 60 seconds; resonate with your unique personality and interests and contain a follow up request for a business card, a referral, or future meeting. source
First of all, why do we need to label ourselves? No one can really define what "liberal" or "conservative" even means anymore. The term liberal from the way back machine means something completely different as it's used today. The classical liberalism of the founders of our country was all about reining in government. Today's liberals expect government to solve all our problems.
Since no one defines terms the exact same way, your elevator pitch would necessarily have to begin with the words, "Being a conservative, as I define the term, means"...
Which leads me to:
Pernicious Undermining of Definitions
If you want to see how the current day liberals (progressives) aim to sway the public perception if you Google (on Google) the words liberal and conservative. Here's what comes up (in bold print - top of page):
lib·er·al
ˈlib(ə)rəl/
adjective
- 1.open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.
"they have more liberal views toward marriage and divorce than some people" - 2.(of education) concerned mainly with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training.
synonyms: wide-ranging, broad-based, general
"a liberal education"
noun
- 1.a person of liberal views.
Now enter the word conservative.
con·serv·a·tive
kənˈsərvədiv/
adjective
- 1.holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.
synonyms: traditionalist, traditional, conventional, orthodox, old-fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool, hidebound, unadventurous, set in one's ways; More
noun
- 1.a person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in relation to politics.
synonyms: right-winger, reactionary, rightist, diehard; More
After reading those definitions, which would you rather be?
Spend some time today to craft your elevator pitch for who you are and what you stand for.
More:
Carole Pluckrose: Stanislavski's Seven Questions For Actors... And business?:
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