The Journey of Political Views
Early Influences
As a young teenager, I was heavily influenced by my history teacher who portrayed revolutionaries like Che Guevara in a heroic light. The textbooks highlighted injustices like the Native American genocide and corporate abuses of power which resonated strongly. It was easy to believe communism could create a fair society for all.
Doubts Arise from Real-World Experience
However, when I had to leave school and enter the working world, reality did not match the ideological views I held. I began to see that personal responsibility and hard work rather than larger societal factors often determined success or failure. Watching friends repeatedly choose homelessness over opportunities for self-improvement also gave me pause.
A Middle Path Emerges
Dropping out of school due to my own choices and lack of discipline revealed my earlier beliefs placed too much blame on outside forces. Over the next few years, through self-betterment activities like work and education, my views shifted from far-left to moderate and libertarian. I believed individuals could overcome challenges through their own agency more than revolutionary change.
Progress Requires Self-Mastery
While helping friends, I learned some repeatedly made choices ensuring their struggles continued rather than improving their situation. Now I believe the most powerful agent for positive change is an individual’s self-control and perseverance in pursuing goals rather than blaming others. Through hard work and discipline, people can build better lives from any starting point.
Conservatism’s Appeal
Recently engaging with diverse political ideas exposed the shortcomings of some past views. Libertarianism no longer fully resonates either. Conservative principles of personal responsibility, limited government and defending civil liberties like free speech now align closest with my experiences and values. No group perfectly represents me, but conservative ideals come closest.
An Ongoing Journey
My political views remain a work in progress as life presents new lessons. But one constant is believing individuals hold the key to their own advancement through determined efforts, not external forces or ideologies. While open to different perspectives, experience has convinced me that self-motivation and grit ultimately empower people far more than promises of utopian revolution or blaming societal ills for personal failures. The journey continues.
