[Libertarian] Feeling Alone, Disagreeing with Everyone you know, and the Importance of Removing Emotion from these scenarios

in #libertarian7 years ago (edited)

Hi Steemit 👋 I'm Summer.

No, I'm not exactly new to Steemit, but after about a year of my account being idle I am just now getting back into the swing of things.

In my first "introduce yourself" post I made, last year, I stated that I had libertarian views and that I wanted to get into it a little bit deeper and so I thought I would start by explaining how I came to consider myself so.

If you read my first post, I said that I was a military wife. Yes, my husband is currently serving in the USAF. We spent the last 4 stationed overseas in the UK and recently relocated to South Georgia (what a culture shock). I am from Canada originally. To sum up what that all means, we are surrounded by republicans and all my friends back home in Canada are socialists 🙃. It is not an easy thing being surrounded on both sides by people who you completely disagree with morally on almost everything. I am sure most of you know this to be true! I feel like I do not fit in anywhere, it is not impossible for me to make friends now, but the other wives I've met are so military-oriented. Of course I grin and bare it, but connections are often shallow at this point in my life because my convictions run so deep. And all my friends back in Canada are socialists, and proud of it. This is a little different, of course, because these people I've known my whole life, long before we developed any political/philosophical views that would differentiate us.

Up until the last few years, I was apathetic about politics, though I've had a keen interest in philosophy since I was in high school. Back when my husband and I were dating, was about the time Ron Paul was running for president, and he started getting into politics quite a lot. He was constantly listening to radio talk shows in the car, watching youtube videos, liking posts on Facebook etc. to do with politics. Anything I heard or read just completely sounded like another language to me back then, and it drove me INSANE when he would get political. But, even though it was such an important aspect of life to him, he never once tried to force his beliefs or opinions on me, and if he ever tried to discuss anything (I would usually flip out almost imediately, it was so dull and annoying to me), I would turn him down and that would be the end of it. I have to say this went on for years.

Ever so slowly, I started to understand the things he was talking about. I would catch myself actually listening to his podcasts with him and thinking "Hey, that actually makes perfect sense--why didn't I think of this before--it seems so simple".

I guess it was really during the last election that I really dove into libertarianism and anarchist ideas. I started watching Ron Paul videos regularly, studying Milton Friedman, was introduced to people like Dave Smith through the Joe Rogan Experience and eventually began watching Anarchast with Jeff Berwick regularly (the reason I'm here on Steemit!)

So, here I am. I can't stress how grateful I am to my husband for always being patient with me and always trying to understand things with logic and removing emotion from the scenario; reasoning with me when I would get hysterical about how boring or stupid I thought he was, or even when I would tell him he was wrong with no explanation...man I was an uninformed idiot!

I recently was in a situation where I had a disagreement with someone I care about over something I honestly thought we agreed on. We were both drunk and I got very emotional. My husband, though he was drunk too, was there to reassure me. He told me he knew how it felt, because for years he went through it with me. Things that are so important to you that they are embedded in your being, are just stupid nonsense to someone you love. He told me it honestly can hurt so bad, but when people just don't get it you just have to remove yourself from the situation and the emotions. Slowly, you can help people understand, with love, patience and most importantly knowledge. Sometimes (like in the case of me), it can take years.

Be patient with your loved ones who don't quite understand your views and philosophies. The biggest thing we advocate for as libertarians is free speech; your right to be you, form your own views and opinions. Well, that and no taxes hehe. If you show your philosophy through your life and your actions, maybe someday they will catch on.

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Welcome back!

Welcome back!!

Your voice here on SteemIt will only make it a stronger community!

Have a great week!
Steem on,
Mike

My wife's pretty left-wing and a bit of a hippie, but we make it work =D

Welcome back!

I have all the same issues discussing these issues with people. After the election of Trump in America, I shut down my Facebook as emotionally irrational "friends" began calling me a "Nazi" and threatening physical harm to me because I was point out the ridiculousness of the "Russia Narrative" and for my "smugness".

Of course that smugness is just the normal libertarian perspective of being principled, consistent and knowledgeable about what the heck I'm talking about.

Yep. I, too, shut my FB down for about a week or so after the election. I mean, most of my FB friends are Canadian and were basically posting about how it was the end of the world and we were all going to die. It is seriously hilarious. I come from a large family and some of my brothers and sisters refuse to come visit me as long as I live in the US. I mean, how ignorant is that?! And one of them is going to Cuba in a few weeks...but will not visit their sister because of Donald Trump. I mean, I live in a small town in South Georgia. I promised I haven't seen Trump once. Lmao

Hilarious. Sad that it's family, but hilarious. I do have to say that some of these hysterical people have begun to acknowledge that the word isn't ending and maybe the media is bit out of control with the coverage of Trump. I find myself defending the guy more than I'd like to.

Right? I know what you mean. I just wish people would realize it was no different when Obama was president. Or Bush, or Clinton, or WHOEVER. It doesn't even matter "who" it is, the "who" isn't the problem.

Please give us some insight on how to get women in America to understand: Those who give up liberty to attain security deserve, and will garner, neither. The Libertarian Party has been at it since 1971, and that sausageFest still hasn't figured it out. Thanks.

Will do. Thanks for the feedback

consider how ACCURATE this graphic/meme actually is.
who invited the libertarian.JPG
Those faces on those chickies say it ALLLLLLLLL. and with good reason, believe me. We need help in this department SOOO badly.