Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Modern conservatives are not generally known for their sunny optimism about the future, about the direction of the country, and certainly not about human nature. When you base your worldview around the assumption that human nature is severely flawed (if not downright amoral or evil), that utopia is a dangerously illusory, and that at a given moment, polite society could easily devolve into madness and anarchy...it's no wonder conservatives are not a cheery bunch.
So how do you separate your pessimism from your "normal," non-political, everyday life? For my own part, as much as I see doom and danger around every corner, I consider myself a very happy individual with a fulfilling life. I love the work I do (painting and the military), have a sizable number of friends, enjoy my hobbies of guns and history, and am planning a lovely wedding with [the future] Lady Horatio.
It's true that I subscribe to Steynian declinism, believe the general population is too far gone to turn back the welfare state, and that good may yet lose in the struggle against evil...and yet none of that really matters to me on a raw, emotional level. I believe, I think rightly, that even should all the apolcalyptic predictions come true, that I would be just as happy, providing life, limb, and my peacemaker remained unscathed.
It's a grave danger to tie up one's personal happiness in the things you can't control. If I were to base my happiness on the success of liberty abroad, the pursuit of justice, or election results every two years, I would have drunk myself into oblivion well before now.
What about you? For you pessimists and doom-mongers, how do you find happiness amid such gloom?
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Jun '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Family (particularly the grandkids), church, books, and the Denver Broncos (my love for the Broncos pre-dates Tebow, but I'll take miracles for them anyway I can get them).
Based on my spiritual beliefs, I'm a short-term pessimist and a long-term optimist--the optimism part requires a very long view of things (like eternity).
I am appalled at what Richard Weaver called the "hysterical optimism" that is inherent to the liberal mind.
Edited on Jan 9 at 4:08pmDec '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
"It's a grave danger to tie up one's personal happiness in the things you can't control."
That, sir, is the nut of it. In fact, I maintain it is insane to predicate one's happiness on anything outside of one's control; and one must realize that virtually everything is outside of one's control. All you can do is keep your side of the street clean, and putter along.
Abe Lincoln, who-- mind you-- suffered greatly from what we suspect today was clinical depression, said "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
Exactly.
Apr '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
When I was younger I put a lot of energy into political ups and downs. Now I understand that there's One in charge that transcends what we do here, and I can either conform to Him or to the world.
That's not to say I accept a passive role, but rather I accept that should my activity yield less-than-stellar results, I can put my trust in someone much greater than anyone we elect.
Jul '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
40 weapons, 50,000 rounds, a year of food/some water, and various supplies in a barn(wife is opposed to the bunker so far) allow me to focus on life's pleasantries. C. U. Douglas, Amen brother. I have seen and experienced enough horror to last a few lifetimes.
Barring a plague of some flavor we are in a slow burn anyway. We shall come then go, not to be remembered beyond a couple generations of those we have loved. Enjoy your family and friends. Be kind along the way. Clinging to your bibles and weapons isn't so bad either. But to each their own.
Jul '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Congratulations! I was rooting for Timmy yesterday. He is the best person in all of professional sports right now and a wonderful role model. My kids looked at me rather quizzically as I cheered the fourth quarter stop and OT win. Best of luck this weekend!
Edited on Jan 10 at 8:14amJul '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Well first you need to put it in perspective. No matter what we do in the end we all die. We are only given a short time in this world and the most we can do is alter the time and place of our death slightly. Maybe die with more toys, or surrounded by loved ones, or a little later, or leave a legacy of some type like children, or a business, or a country. But in the immensity of the universe and in the vastness of time none of this truely matters. So why worry?
Jul '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
President Reagan picks Me up.
May '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
The other night we went to an "Epiphany Party" with a small circle of very musical friends. We sat around the piano, drinking wine, playing and singing beautiful old Anglican Christmas hymns in four part harmony.
These are the moments that "refresh my heart" and make me happy—being with loved ones in beauty and truth.
I love being outdoors with the family too: walking in woods, hiking in hills, sitting in sunshine, absorbing silence.
Edited on Jan 10 at 5:23amRe: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
It depends. There are days when I can really shut it out, and there are days when I can't.
Feb '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
I love reading Steyn, but I find G. K. Chesterton the antidote to Steyn's hyper-pessimism. For me, an attitude of gratitude is the way to go about avoiding worry and distress. As Chesterton said, "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
That, and making sure we are not late for things. Nothing is worse for making people crazy than trying to drive somewhere that is 15 minutes away in only 10 minutes.
I also am very fortunate to have small, wriggly, warm people who think I am wonderful snuggling up to me frequently throughout the day. That helps. Peace!
Feb '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
I don’t.
Sep '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Happy ha ha is hard for me—maybe it's why I'm not quick on the uptake. But happy deep down—an overwhelming sense of appreciation—that's pretty much the norm for me. It's why I believe in god: who else is there to thank?
Apr '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
My anti-depressant is preparation. I may not be able to stop the decline when it comes, but I can resist it. Like the monks of the Dark Ages who preserved what knowledge they could, someday I will be remembered as one who kept the fire of knowledge, however small, still burning somewhere, tended by generations to come until it can be used to kindle a new renaissance.
Jul '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
I love the Lincoln quote, Karl. The Dalai Lama, whom I don't agree with on much of anything, said,"If there's a problem and a solution, there's no need to worry. If there's no solution, no sense in worrying because you can't do anything about it anyway." Tragedies like last year's murder of Salman Taseer (a hero of mine) and the devastation of Christians in Nigeria almost can bring me to tears. But at the end of the day, all I can do is be thankful I'm not among the afflicted.
Oct '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Many of the comments above shed the true Light on the issue. We are living at the tail end of a long slide into darkness. To know that many of my friends here on Ricochet are living in peace with our Creator is what settles the present and gives hope to the future.
We could devolve into sectarian argument, given that we come from many different religious traditions and faiths, but God, I believe, is more tolerant of our errors of belief, mine included, than many people are.
Our future is placed upon a Rock, and the waves might crash against It, but will never overwhelm. Happiness is a decision. When we decide for our Creator, we choose life!
Lach'heim!
Mar '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Most of the time yes it does not effect my emtions, but every once in a while when I think about the consequences it bothers me, I am not worried or depressed just sad. Tyranny always leads to more human suffering, Civil War, Death and humans exploiting and abusing others. So no the fact there will be more abuse of children, raps, violent crimes, and other crimes (real crime from a historical Moral stand point not what governments make a crime). However, I don’t let it effect me most of the time because there is nothing I can do about it on the whole.
A slow decline like that of Brittan would be a lot better and is what I hope for if the decline is inevitable. The Alternative is riots everywhere, most likely Civil War, all which might lead to Anarchy. So yes a high likelyhood of that does bother me.
Aug '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
Despite my belief that things will get much worse before they get better, I am very happy and optimistic in my day-to-day life. Much of that happiness is a direct result of my relationship with my wife of 26 years, which gets better and better every day. Without her I fear my optimism would fade drastically.
I do believe we are in the end times as described in the Book of Revelations but have no idea if the second coming of Christ will happen in 5 years or 55 years. While I am pessimistic about the fate of our society I am very optimistic about the fate of individuals within that society. It is to that end that I devote most of my energy.
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
I wish I could link to my pastor's sermon from Epiphany because it addressed just this issue (but it's not up on our website yet). My happiness and contentedness is first and foremost a result of trust in Christ and certainly not in the things of this world. But faith also helps me see how much we have to be thankful for here in the temporal. I actually work on forcing myself to be more content and thankful, too. I want more children but I'm thankful with the two wonderful ones I've been blessed with. When my husband and I fight, I think of what a wonderful blessing he is to me 99% of the time. That sort of thing.
And raking up the yard this weekend, my husband and I discussed our pessimism about U.S. and global politics (including the plight of Christians addressed by Judith's post last week) and we discussed how best to combat problems. We can't control the outcome but we can continue in our vocations to highlight problems and possible solutions.
Nov '11
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
I consider 'the other side' more depressed. Broadly speaking, they base everything on their feelings and what could be more depressing than never getting to Utopia?
Jun '10
Re: Doom Management: Are You a Happy Conservative?
I drive past the OWS encampment in Sana Fe everyday. The temperature drops into the teens at night, and I think "sucks to be you," losers. Schadenfreude is not a noble sentiment, but it keeps me going.