Quote:
Originally Posted by HPLovecraft
...Having convictions doesn't warrant anyone respect, and I don't know where the idea came from that just believing in something means you should be respected (though I have a hunch). The content of the belief, and the justification that the individual has for believing it, are all far more important qualities to be considered when determining whether someone deserves respect for something they do or do not believe.
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I love this post.
You are echoing something here that has been bothering me for a long time now, and that is how twisted our own collective perception of the value of "conviction" on the one hand, coupled with our disdain for "compromise" on the other has become. I would be very interested myself to see why that is, but invariably we celebrate single-mindedness almost beyond question. "Sticking to your guns" has become an unassailable virtue—was this a product of religious persecution that the Christian Church has incorporated into its own propaganda? Even today, Christian missionaries and converts in highly saturated Muslim countries are championed for their bravery in the face of almost certain torture and death.
It reminds me of a scene from the movie
Braveheart. Strraight away, after William Wallace has been betrayed and arrested, his strongest supporter, Robert the Bruce confronts his father in a rage, knowing that he was responsible for his betrayal. His father calmly explains to him that in order to keep the peace in Scotland, and for the land-owners to save their own necks, Wallace needed to be sacrificed. In his mind, for the greater good of the nation. Then, he says something that I believe is quite instructive:
"Uncompromising men are easy to admire. But it is specifically the ability to compromise that makes one noble."
The statement is set in the movie as a slight against the failed attempts of diplomacy on the part of the Scottish lords, and as a celebration of William Wallace's balls-to-the-wall bravery. But the more I think about it, and the more I reflect on the history of our own civilization—its triumphs and failures—the more I am convinced that he is absolutely correct, and it rings as inconsistent with how we tend to evaluate human motivations and behaviour. "Compromise" has become something of a dirty word in our culture, almost to the point that we prefer rage. How sad. Since in the end, nothing gets done if not for the insightful few who have come to recognize that diplomacy in all things will always trump irrational strength of will.