Opening thoughts
Myths that compromisers push
Extremism is usually associated with people who never hear anyone out, or bomb buildings. The truth is that this type of a behavior is INCONSISTENCY, a bad extremism. A good extremism is just having passion and being consistent in what you stand for. Too often, people compromise their morals because they are afraid of someone else's wrath. They can not stand up to bullies. Also, there is a huge emotional investment in pursuing the truth and going "against the grain" in life. Many people today are what I call "stagnation extremists" or "mid-winged extremists". This means that they stand for nothing and give noble causes lip service, and have no substance as to what they stand for. One way or the other, the world has beaten them down so hard that they have completely given up and manage to build a comfort zone for themselves. They live life by extreme practicality and only do what gives them an immediate reward. "What's in it for me?" or "How can I be emotionally safe?" seems to be the most pronounce denominator in all of their actions.
Myth:If you don't conform and "play ball" with the mainstream, entrenched power or the status quo, it's never going to matter what you stand for because "extremists" never get anything done
My Response:Extremists are the ONLY people who get anything done!
Extremists are the ones who set the tones for the rest of the people to follow. They are the ones with energized bases and who polarize activity. The hippies were the radicals of their time in the sixities but now "free love" and building God in our image is MAINSTREAM America!
Also, what does it matter getting in power or not when you are so compromised that nothing you do in power is going to mean anything? That is a flip side to the argument. The objective is NOT just to get in power! The objective is to actually DO something and bring forth results! This same flawed logic is used by dating "sexperts" when saying that you have to sink to flashy and trendy denominators to get dates at all, and if you don't then nothing will matter after that because you won't get the date in the first place. What they DON'T tell you is that when you sell yourself out and surrender your values of having substance, that you are not getting into ANY date or relationship at all! It is a cheesy hook up. After this, you have been broken by pop culture and have ceased to exist as an individual. It is the equivalent of telling 12 year old girls that they have to have sex with their boyfriends or guys won't like them. SELL OUT and you'll be happy!!
Myth:People who are moderates or liberal are at ease with themselves, open minded and more tolerant of the fact that not everyone has the exact same morality.
My Response:This is a perversion of the truth. So-called tolerance is a double edged sword. Hearing someone out is always a good thing; it is just that bowing down to pressure is always wrong. Changing your mind is fine; as long as it is genuine and not out of conditioning or coercion. I have observed that many people who pass themselves off as tolerant and moderates make some of the WORST intolerant extremist kooks! It becomes too painful in life to stand for anything because that takes emotional investment and they have the surface of themselves dressed up as someone who is laxed and moderate, when the exact opposite is true.