Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Fear and Self-Loathing - Hallmarks of the Leftist

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Are you naturally cheerful or consistently grouchy?

Chances are you've noticed a trend lately, that of a constant, shrill screeching from the left side of the aisle versus the general good nature of the right side. Where this comes from is a mystery, but a lot more people are starting to notice just how dour leftists are.

If I were a psychologist, I could do nothing for the remainder of my career except study this phenomenon. I'd never run out of something to do, since the depth and breadth of hatred seemingly extends outward from politics into everything else to infect every nook and cranny of life itself.

I'm not the only one to notice this trend. Matthew Sheffield from the Washington Examiner writes about this in a piece entitled Hating your countrymen is the new patriotism. In it, he notes the trend away from mere disagreement with those who differ in opinion toward downright seething, spittle-flecked hatred such as that displayed by CNN's Ed Shultz.


One could argue that conservatives and libertarians are prone to similarly negative views about the public–particularly when it votes for politicians loathed by the Right–however, it seems to me that when such sentiments are expressed, they tend to proceed more from disappointment than the fulminations against the public one regularly sees expressed by liberals (the supposed movement “for the people”).
Sadly, this is becoming more and more common as we watch the left collapse in on itself. Glenn Beck pointed this out on his show recently, citing a Huffington Post post that I think was supposed to be high snark, but comes across as just a delusional rant against the everyday Americans who attended his Restoring Honor rally in Washington this past weekend. He displayed pictures that HuffPoo called "ridiculous". Guess what these pictures showed? Average Americans displaying patriotism. (I deeply apologize for linking to that site. If you feel the need to go wash your hands or take a shower after clicking, I understand. I'll wait 'till you get back.)

Even Hollywood stars are getting caught up in this blind, running hatred. John Cusak has called for the "satanic death" of Fox News and GOP leaders.

I have a theory concerning this malady. Indulge me if you will.

One can easily see and hear the carping and criticism from the left. It's their stock in trade. They seemingly cannot stand the country into which they were born and their every waking moment is spent pointing out her every fault as if there is some perfect society that once existed to compare her to.

That's what causes their unhappiness. They constantly criticize. Anything and everything. As a result, by immersing themselves in criticism, they feel like they're being criticized. Their emotional state overwhelms them to the point that they become most unpleasant and incapable of polite conversation. It is for that reason that leftists tend to surround themselves with other like-minded individuals and join groups that support their critical views of the nation and life in general.

After all, who wants to hang around the perpetually dour?

You may have noticed the calm demeanor of those who attended Glenn Beck's rally in Washington. Every video clip I've seen so far shows general good will toward others. The anecdotes of the day reflect the same atmosphere of cheerfulness and accommodation, along with the respect shown by the crowd for the grounds that were left in pristine condition afterwards.

This, in my opinion, is one of the biggest ideological divides between the right and left. Because we on the right have a modicum of self-control, those on the left who don't have it are reduced to emotionality, and must respond in the only way they know how: emotionally, in a most immature way.

Like a spoiled child.

No comments: