When You Think About It. How would you like to be defined?

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Most of us resist being labeled. We don't like being categorized as being this way or that. I know that I certainly do not like it. Still, even allowing for our individuality, all of us exhibit tendencies that tend to show a collective way of thinking, especially during the political season.

So, with this in mind, I decided to see what the dictionary says about the two most important labels at this time of year: CONSERVATIVE VS LIBERAL. I cut and pasted the results directly from the definitions. I neither added or detracted from what I found. You may draw your own conclusions:

conservative

[kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv] 

 

• Examples
• Word Origin

adjective

1.

disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

2.

cautiously moderate or purposefully low:

a conservative estimate.

3.

traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness:

conservative suit.

4.

(often initial capital letter) of or relating to the Conservative party.

5.

(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of ConservativeJews or Conservative Judaism.

6.

having the power or tendency to conserve or preserve.

7.

Mathematics. (of a vector or vector function) having curl equal to zero;irrotational; lamellar.

liberal

[lib-er-uh l, lib-ruh l] 

 

• Synonyms
• Examples
• Word Origin

adjective

1.

favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.

2.

(often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.

3.

of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism, especially the freedom of the individual and governmental guarantees of individual rights and liberties.

4.

favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.

5.

favoring or permitting freedom of action, especially with respect tomatters of personal belief or expression:

a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.

6.

of or relating to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.

7.

free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: