03-27-2022, 07:37 AM
(03-26-2022, 08:57 PM)JasonBlack Wrote: This one is going after pretty much all of American culture, from boomer to Gen Z and from socialist to Randian: being a "rebel without a cause" is the height of immaturity, and a desire to be aggressive for no reason.
It's okay to question authority. It's okay to think for yourself, express yourself and generally do what you want, but rebelling to just to rebel isn't much different from throwing a tantrum. What? You think we can build a society just be constantly "rebelling"? You think that's ever going to foster a sense of community? structure? rationality? If you don't like the system then
1) work to change it through legitimate channels
2) debate people in earnest without grandiose provocations
3) become a leader yourself...and accept the responsibilities that come with it
American society overall needs to grow up. It needs to stop rebelling against the authority and instead become the authority you wish to see in the world. Otherwise, you're just throwing a fit and picking fights with people who didn't do anything to do.
This is the aspect of conservative thought that has real value. I can't buy-in 100%, but I do value the ideas. The small amount of naivete present keeps the ideas unencumbered with unnecessary complexity. I'm OK with that.
Intelligence is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom, but they all play well together.