People with strong beliefs scare me

[Yoda Power]

No matter if you're hardcore religious, socialist, liberal, conservative, nationalist, envirementalist(spell?) or whatever, you scare me like hell. As far as I can see people that have a strong belief in something tend to become almost fundamentalist in a way, excluding everything that might not correspond with their ideology/religion. I don't understand how anyone can think that to run a country or region properly, only one ideology is enough. Decisions should not be made based on a specific ideology, but rather what serves the people the best. None ideology has all the answers, because the answers can change in different situations. Basing your entire life on one or two pierces of litterature is not a good idea, as they can in no way predict all possible scenarios.
If people try to look for answers or sollution in their ideology, and they can't find them, they will for some odd reason (this is simply a statement based on what I see in R/L and in this forum) try to interpret some unreleated text to get their answer. This sollution often doesn't work really well in the real world.
This is really a rant against extremism, but not in it's most extreme form (like modern Iran, old Soviet or China, etc.). I'm talking about normal people, who just chooses not to understand the other point of view.

Thoughts?

 

[De Lorimier]

Of course people with very strong opinions, or ideologies about politics, the economy or religion are a scary bunch.

But I am as scared by the ones without an opinion of their own. The clueless and the ones simply repeating other people's stance on particular issues are as dangerous, if not more to mankind.

 

[Gr3yL3gion]

Me too. I'm an open-minded person, so I try to rationalize every point of view before I make any decisions.

But I do admire people who have strong beliefs, and did try to make friends with them even though we might not agree on a specific issues. It's the ones who try to convert me that I try to avoid at all cost.

 

[Yoda Power]

But I am as scared by the ones without an opinion of their own. The clueless and the ones simply repeating other people's stance on particular issues are as dangerous, if not more to mankind.

Actually that kind of people are often repeating already extremist opinions. So the difference isn't great.

 

[silver 2039]

Fourtnatley some people try to be as open and objective as possible. Unfourtnatley most don't....

 

[Mise]

I find it scary how someone can be so absolutely sure that they are 100% correct 100% of the time.

 

[Ahmad]

What I'd like to know is whether the need for a strong uncompromising belief is a an inherent personality trait or something one can gain or lose.

In other words, could an open-minded flexible person become a strong uncompromsing believer or vice versa?

I haven't seen it myself. I've seen some try and fail in both directions.

 

[BasketCase]

I don't understand how anyone can think that to run a country or region properly, only one ideology is enough. Decisions should not be made based on a specific ideology, but rather what serves the people the best.

So....once you've assembled (from various other ideologies) a collection of ideas chosen entirely on how they best serve the people--could that collection not itself be called an ideology?

The core of the problem is, you can really only use the force of law to implement one set of ideas at a time in a given district. Sure, you can have different sets of laws in different districts, but each district can only have one set (if conflicts arise, one of the contending laws is chosen as the one that's implemented, and if the conflict is between local and state or federal law, the higher-up one is the one that gets implemented).

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

Extremist beliefs in the face of irrifutable evidence is absolutely scary. Of course, so are those who seem not to believe in anything.

Of course I really find it strange those who argue about faith. By the very definition, faith cannot be argued about logically.

 

[stormbind]

No matter if you're hardcore religious, socialist, liberal, conservative, nationalist, envirementalist(spell?) or whatever, you scare me like hell. As far as I can see people that have a strong belief in something tend to become almost fundamentalist in a way, excluding everything that might not correspond with their ideology/religion.

Republicanists are no different. You are talking about those members of society who are committed and work hard.

Are you sure it isn't work that scares the hell out of you?

Naturally, people committed to a flawed ideology are scary because of the damage they can wreak, but being committed isn't a problem in itself.

 

[Meleager]

Am I the only person in this forum who's "certainty presents a genuine risk to the lives of us and our children"?

The CIA is still knocking on my door after that .

Weather you like it or not, it is men who have had absolute certanty, or perhaps conviction, that have shaped the world we live in today. I have more respect for a man with conviction, even if i believe he is wrong, then a person who simply goes with the crowd. Besides, if no one was so certian, what would we talk about?

Thats all for the moment, but i'll probably add more as the discussion goes on.

 

[Yoda Power]

So....once you've assembled (from various other ideologies) a collection of ideas chosen entirely on how they best serve the people--could that collection not itself be called an ideology?

Actually that's something that has puzzled me for some time. I can't really figure it out.

Repiblicanists are no different. You are talking about those members of society who are committed and work hard.

Work hard to achive their own ideological goal.

Weather you like it or not, it is men who have had absolute certanty, or perhaps conviction, that have shaped the world we live in today.

Yes that is true, but is our world better because of that? I think not.

 

[Meleager]

Yes that is true, but is our world better because of that? I think not.

Would our society even exist without them? I think not.

 

[stormbind]

Work hard to achive their own ideological goal.

Of course, and did not Cromwell and Washington do the same?

And what of rmsharpe, who works fairly hard to convince CFC that flat tax, death sentence, and laissez-faire are better ideologies?

 

[farting bob]

comparing rmsharpe to cromwell and washington? guess it was only a matter of time.
People with very strong beliefs in ideology, religion or economics dont scare me, but many of them annoy me. They all tend to ignore the other view points, even if when they think about it, they might find 1 way better than what they are doing. But i dont get scared of them.

 

[aneeshm]

I have a rather strong view that Islam is a very backward and barbaic religion . I , however , also strongly think that we should not use religion as a yardstick while judging a person - each individual must be judged on his own merits .

Would you be scared of me ?

 

[Smidlee]

I personally like to know where someone stands than someone with a backbone of a jellyfish. As the saying goes: He who stands on nothing will fall for anything.

 

[Ahmad]

I have a rather strong view that Islam is a very backward and barbaic religion . I , however , also strongly think that we should not use religion as a yardstick while judging a person - each individual must be judged on his own merits .

Would you be scared of me ?

No more than someone who thinks that [insert religion here] is a very backward and barbaric religion would scare you.

Anyway, your second setiment allows me to relax knowing that you're not an islamophobe, racist, or some kind of extremist.

So no.. you don't scare me at all. Then again the question wasn't directed to me was it?

 

[Mise]

As the saying goes: He who stands on nothing will fall for anything.

So what did you believe before you fell for God?

 

[Evil Tyrant]

No matter if you're hardcore religious, socialist, liberal, conservative, nationalist, envirementalist(spell?) or whatever, you scare me like hell. As far as I can see people that have a strong belief in something tend to become almost fundamentalist in a way, excluding everything that might not correspond with their ideology/religion. I don't understand how anyone can think that to run a country or region properly, only one ideology is enough. Decisions should not be made based on a specific ideology, but rather what serves the people the best. None ideology has all the answers, because the answers can change in different situations. Basing your entire life on one or two pierces of litterature is not a good idea, as they can in no way predict all possible scenarios.
If people try to look for answers or sollution in their ideology, and they can't find them, they will for some odd reason (this is simply a statement based on what I see in R/L and in this forum) try to interpret some unreleated text to get their answer. This sollution often doesn't work really well in the real world.
This is really a rant against extremism, but not in it's most extreme form (like modern Iran, old Soviet or China, etc.). I'm talking about normal people, who just chooses not to understand the other point of view.

Thoughts?

How strongly do you hold that opinion?