6/16/2009 6:33

Fearing the future, Fearing the past

Liberals mostly come from that group of people who ought to be excited about new possibilities and who should be looking forward to social progress. Instead, liberals are often consumed by such guilt that their obsession is to avoid repeating past errors.

Conservatives have a tendency to fear the future, and especially any change the future might bring, when they ought to be basking in the successes of the past and reminding the rest of us of how much good has already been accomplished.

What's wrong with this picture? The people attuned to the future are focused on the past and those naturally comfortable with the past are giving their attention to the future. No wonder everyone uncomfortable with politicians! But if we have correctly diagnosed the situation we have also defined the tactics to deal with it.

I propose that one should turn the conversation toward the future whenever one is dealing with a liberal, and not just being vaguely forward-looking but asking specifically what we can do better, who can benefit, and how this improvement can be achieved. Liberals are humans like the rest of us and usually will appreciate being asked for expert advice.

When dealing with a conservative, I suggest that one should look for a more evaluative stance, asking for help in recognizing more clearly what past successes are essential for building the future. Conservatives are human like the rest of us and usually appreciate being sought out for their insight.

The actual reality is that conservatives are afraid of the future and liberals are afraid of the past. My proposed tactics attempt to game the converse by playing on their strengths instead of their fears.