Liberal or Conservative

Calling yourself either a liberal or a conservative is just a bad idea. Yes, I know that this is ironically a pretty "liberal" thing to do in itself but it's not without a bit of reasoning. For one thing, when you choose to call yourself liberal, or conservative, or even moderate, you are drawing lines in the sand and declaring yourself as a member of a particular class.

Once you've finished categorizing yourself you feel even more compelled to define yourself based on the stereotypes of that class as you defend the other members of your category against the members of the now opposing other category.

Now, this is objectionable. If i choose to choose then I choose to no longer be able to choose to a certain extent. What does this mean; it means that once you declare "I'm a liberal" you begin to try to prove it, which means adopting at least most of all the other things people associate with liberal. You are not really able to cherry pick your positions fully and decide that "I want to be a conservative here and be a liberal here." Not unless you want to be labeled a moderate.

However, say you're OK with being a moderate! Fine. Then you choose moderate bedfellows and follow moderate agendas and you run over to the class of people called the moderates and have tea and scones and throw moderate parties and play moderate games. However, what you never, ever,
do is walk next door to the conservatives party, or the liberals party at the door to the other side of you, and drink their kool-aid or eat their chips. You must always drink your own.