Observations of Political Attitudes

One thing I've observed about liberals is that they are generally a bitter lot. In fact, I think the more liberal an individual is, the more bitter they are about life, politics, their circumstances, just about everything.

Liberals are also generally blame shifters - they are usually the last ones to blame when something goes wrong in their life. As for me, I am usually the most critical of myself, and when things go wrong I get frustrated with my own actions that were taken to encourage the situation, or not taken to prevent it. Only after scrutinizing my own decisions will I look elsewhere for blame.

Another thing I've observed about liberals is that they generally think they are owed something - from their company, their family, their friends, and (since we're talking about politics) especially from the government. Maybe this is the cause of the bitterness, or maybe they feel they are owed something as a result of the source of their bitterness (you owe me because you let me down, etc). Either way, they probably go hand in hand.

As for me, I have high expectations for no one but myself. I only expect my employer to fulfill their promises of what was in the paperwork that I signed for employment - namely a paycheck, whatever benefits they agreed to, and hopefully a fair review for my performance every year. Anything else they choose to provide (bonuses, Christmas parties, lunch, etc) is above and beyond that, and I am thankful for whatever that may be.

I also expect my government only to provide me with just a few basics necessities - freedom (to speak my mind, move about at will, pursue my dreams, etc) and an orderly society, such as protection from other individuals looking to take my life, liberty, or property. Anything above or beyond that I expect to have to provide for myself.

The big question for me is this: Is there a right and a wrong here, or is it just differences of opinions? I don't know for sure, but I can tell you this - having lower expectations of others and conversely higher levels of gratitude generally promotes a much better attitude.