Liberal Conversations Essay

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Ever since the first year I started college, I have been employed as a seasonal sales associate at a vintage-inspired store that enforces a very strict dresscode. Throughout the course of working there, I have had numerous interesting conversations with customers. These conversations range from basic small talk to issues as important as current events. One of the most memorable conversations I have had happened a few months ago. I was ringing up some items for a woman who was in line. The woman, a chatty bleach blonde who appeared to be in her mid-forties, said to me before departing the store, “I love how conservative your guys’ outfits are.” Approximately a millisecond after she exited the store, the man next in line stepped up to the register, …show more content…

The person I asked immediately expressed to me that the word was not a “good word.” They stated that it caused them to conjure up thoughts of negative, close-minded, hateful individuals. The asked person expressed that they associated the word with extreme selfishness and anti-human rights. Statements such as, “Conservatives (according to liberals) are blind destructive idiots,” (Fleming, 2004, p. 216) and article titles such as “Right-wingers are less intelligent than left wingers, says study” (Waugh, R. (2016, January 31) are evidence that this interpretation of the word in common among many Liberals. Goldberg, a non-Conservative, even states in his own scientific journal, “Right-wingers are more stubborn and closed-minded, while liberals are more cognitively flexible and able to adapt.” (2007, pp. 24) I concluded that the word “conservatives” has a negative connotation to many Libertarians. The word is representative of hatred, intolerance, and oppressive ideas from an unwelcoming community also known as their opposing political …show more content…

I define the word as meaning to adhere to tradition. This is a concept that can be applied to things outside of politics. From the art perspective, conservative is a synonym for subdued or demure or it is used to describe something that is traditional. For example, the architecture of the Late Baroque period is and was not considered conservative. The ornate detailing and whimsical designs were costly therefore the aesthetic could only be executed by the upper class. This artistic architectural style is viewed a very extravagant, which is the opposite of conservative style. Neo-classicism art is a style characterized by geometric shapes and clean lines. Neoclassicism is considered conservative because it is more subdued. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013) In this sense, the term conservative is being used as a synonym for demure. Artist/designers also use the term as a synonym for traditional. After all, the dictionary meaning of the word is to adhere to traditional beliefs and values. This can also be applied to visual aesthetic. Aesthetic enthusiast such as myself may use the word to refer to tradition style architecture such as the White House or a colonial style building. This interpretation intertwines with being subdued because old-fashion buildings tended to be less extravagant due to lack of resources.

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