Do as you would be done by (a lesson for progressives everywhere)

Jonathan Pearce at Samizdata shared the corporate philosophy of Asgaard, the US weight training business and the concluding sentence struck me as spot on:

We also understand that some people have different opinions about these things, and we respect their opinions at precisely the same level of enthusiasm with which they respect ours.

This came after a statement opposing big government, over-regulation, the endless search for offence and backing personal responsibility and the good things in life. Plus clearly stating that masculinity and femininity are great but different.

You could, however, have put any list of things important to the ethos of a business and, had you concluded as Asgaard did, I would still cheer. If you want to have your worldview applauded, you have to start with understanding that not everyone shares that viewpoint and that those people are just as likely to be good, caring, loving people as you are. It is the fault of us all to believe that our prejudices, beliefs and faith contain the only truth meaning; that all those who disagree are not merely wrong, they are sinners.

I would say say that this intolerance seems more prevalent on the progressive left than it used to be. Once the left prided itself on its liberal sensitivities, on a desire for inclusion and the broadening of ideas and debate. Today, this progressive mindset - the worldview of what Americans call liberals - seems unprepared to accept that others disagree with that philosophy. Or rather that those who don't embrace the game of identity top trumps, equalities poker and faux concern about the plight of the poor are entirely without the prospect of salvation.

Perhaps we can again embrace the plurality of ideas, to recognise that there is no right answer, no perfect ideology, no sunlit uplands - just a messy, complicated old world. A world that's made easier if we do as we would be done by. It's time to start respecting ideas again, to take that quote above as a chance for a positive, an instruction that, if you treat my ideas with respect and understanding there's a better chance I'll do the same for yours.

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