Comments on: Recognizing your own fanaticism/extremism

By: tgirsch

tgirsch — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 16:32:25 +0000

I don’t think figuring out if you’re an extremist is really all that challenging. I like to reckon my degree of extremism based on how hard I have to look to find someone who’s farther out there than I am. Alternatively, how hard is it for you to conceive of something you wouldn’t support or oppose, as appropriate?

For example, while I’m very strongly pro-choice, I don’t support such things as unconditional abortion-on-demand up until the moment of birth. I’ve met and known people who I think take the whole “pro choice” thing too far. Thus, I don’t think it’s fair to characterize me as “extremist” on that issue.

For a counterexample, take something like church/state separation. On that, I’m pretty extremist. I have a hard time imagining too much separation, and I almost universally oppose even seemingly-benign entanglements for fear of the slippery slope. Then again, as with Uncle and guns, I’m comfortable with my extremism here, and I’d go so far as to say that I think such extremism is entirely reasonable. But then, I would think that…

By: bob

bob — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:28:54 +0000

“Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

I think it is too bad that fanaticism and extremism have come to have similar connatations. Fanaticism is probably always a bad thing whereas making a good/bad judgement about an extremist approach requires knowledge of subject about which one is being extreme.

I am proud to claim to be a “freedom extremist” and think that the Goldwater quote above is a true statement at all times and in all places. Too bad so many of our countrymen think(?) it to be a “fanatical” view.

By: nk

nk — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:54:07 +0000

I don’t agree that Orson Scott Card has come up with a complete definition. It’s good as far as it goes but fanatics are single-issue people. They have a cause which consumes their entire life to the exclusion of everything else, even family and friends. The Islamic jihadis are the outstanding example right now.

By: Gun Toting Liberal

Gun Toting Liberal — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:19:30 +0000

What a bunch of EXTREMISTS!!!

I like it!

Blog the hell ON, brothers!

By: Heartless Libertarian

Heartless Libertarian — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 05:59:37 +0000

Given that I want to take this country back to what it once was, to the freedom it once had, and to the self reliance that was once expected of every citizen, at the very least pre-FDR, does that make me a reactionary extremist?