Importance of the Liberal Mind in the Quest for Progress and Peace

Petrification is a phenomena that occurs when organic material slowly become rock or mineral in consistency. The current presidential election suggest that the same process occurs in voters as we age. We tend to become frozen in time and more rock-like in consistency. Notably, this seems to occur in our grey matter in our brains. We often accept deception for truth and the past as irrevocable. A recent survey by The Annenberg Center for Public Policy stated the following. " Young adults 18 to 29 years of age are more likely to describe themselves as liberal in comparison to other age groups, according to recent data collected by the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s National Annenberg Election Survey. Thirty-four percent of 18- to 29-year-olds called themselves “liberal” or “very liberal,” while only 27 percent of 30- to 44-year-olds, 25 percent of 45- to 64-year-olds, and 18 percent of those 65 years and older described themselves the same way." The word "liberal" can be interpreted differently depending upon your slant. However, generally the word connotes a leaning toward contemporary thought and action as opposed to dogma.

Our society seems to cling stubbornly to the "past", although the past is never "now". The older we become , the more attached we become to the past and the more petrified we become. We become less able to accept change and hearken back to "the time when". We seem to sink further into rigid thinking established during some period of our lives when we were "satisfied" with the status quo. As we age we seem to lose our ability to think more "liberally". We tend to hold on to our ingrained beliefs that began petrifying years ago. This explains in part why we as society seem to repeat the mistakes made in the past since we cannot let loose of experiences that have shaped our thinking and frozen our ability to expand our reasoning. Cubic inch by cubic inch our brains seem to lose their "elasticity" and we gradually become mummified in a live body.

The liberal mind retains elasticity and is able to see new horizons and analyze them without being burdened by stultifying rigidity caused by aging. The liberal mind, however, also tends to age and often becomes inflicted with the same malaise that has already overtaken older, partially petrified, minds. Overall societal progress is slowed because each generation starts clunking along and the previously liberal mind slowly tends to become rigid. The journey of a society is analogous to climbing a ladder that has broken rungs that impedes our escalation and finally limits our advance. We become stuck. We must overcome the impediments that are always in our way.

Our challenge as individuals and society is to recognize petrification before it take over. We must always seek the better pathway, the more human way, the more peaceful approach. This can only be achieved if we allow our minds to expand as we age. We must retain the liberal elasticity in our brains that we posses as youths, and tend to lose later. Each generation starts anew on a new rung on the ladder to the future. We can make the future better for all of us and future generations if we resist the petrification of our minds and welcome the liberal thoughts of youth rather than condemning any deviation from what you consider to be "wrong". The liberal mind sorts our self-destructive and harmful actions and will reject them on their own. But instant condemnation and negative judgemental  reactions of the partially petrified mind cannot help guide those who are seeking progress in a partially stultified society. 

We owe a debt of gratitude to all the liberal minds who helped provide societal improvement. We must show gratitude and support those who retain their liberal minds as they age and encourage the younger members of society to seek more knowledge to held solve mankind's relentless and often repetitive backward steps. We must all retain our "liberal minds" to assure a future society and a world that eventually achieves progress and and peace for all.