Lazy Conviction

Those who don’t care, are not radicals. The indifferent go with the flow and are happy to accept anything. If they are pressed on their political views, they proudly present themselves as moderates or even more flattering, as independents.

That’s how liberal western society can keep going: it’s upheld by the lukewarm support of the masses.

Whoever feels passionate about something can’t be a moderate. Of course liberal democracy has many ardent supporters, but their attention is always directed at shortcomings in the system, the need for reform in accordance with original ideas or the export of these ideas to unfortunate parts of the world. People with great ideological interests can never be content with keeping an open-ended political system just as it is.

With this in mind, we can understand why liberal democracy, which feels so obvious to all unimpassionate moderates of today, was so slow to break through even after the general idea had been conceived. The moderates, that is the great majority, can never lend their firm support to anything and they therefore have to be dragged along as a burden to whatever radical change the enthusiasts want to carry out. But once changes are made and firmly established, they will be the greatest security against any reversal or alteration of the new status quo.

Whatever social institution exists, seems to be a state of nature if you don’t reflect on it. It feels so obvious and indubitable and the less you think about it the more convinced you are. The sky must be blue, and democracy must be right.

Maybe democracy is indeed right, and if you want to be certain about it beyond doubt, you better not think about it.

Beware of thinking, it may make you discontent and radical, and a threat to the natural order.