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posted ago by cringerepublic ago by cringerepublic +22 / -0

Conservatives tend to be more practically-minded thinkers. Many will look at what's in front of them and resort to the tried and true methods of addressing the situation, focusing on what is rather than what could be. They're in touch with the present and favor simplicity over grand ideas and big narratives.

Leftists on the other hand tend to have a very different approach towards viewing the world. They're more likely to be dreamers, and their dreams might not even resemble their practical experiences. Leftists are abstract thinkers. They pick up on subtle narratives and constantly look for the origins of what they see around them. Conservatives ask: what is? Leftists ask: what could this mean?

Now unfortunately, most people outsource their opinions to third parties.

The "big" questions in life tend to be answered by whichever institutions are strong enough to inculcate the population. When institutions are weak, those big questions become dynamic once again and are answered most strongly by the dreamers of the world. When people no longer trust their priests and government officials, they turn to the artists, writers, and philosophers for answers.

Conservative thought patterns are highly valuable when society is stable and the big questions seem settled. When things are dynamic, we see them falter time and time again. That's why the "right" has been playing defense for the last thousand years or so. People who are stuck in their ways will never win when everything is in flux. The future will belong to whoever has the vision and competence to execute that vision on the world, while the rest will remain helpless bystanders to history.

So what can "the right" do to address this?

First, I think it's important to focus on principles rather than concrete historical manifestations of them. At the heart of conservatism is the proposition that there is a way that stands above historical contingency, given to us by our creator. Liberals believe reality is invented by man, conservatives believe reality is invented by God. Even conservative leaning atheists will follow this general pattern of thought.

What we're lacking today is a strong civilizational worldview. Why do we do the things we do? Why does reality as we know it exist? What should the future look like? These questions go unanswered when a civilization has died. They're answered once again just before the start of a new cycle. Whoever can answer these questions with the utmost confidence and paint a picture of the world, they will set the tone for generations to come.