What can we do about Political Correctness?

In this third part to the series of articles on political correctness, I discuss what may be done to reverse its tide and its accompanying symptoms. I understand that this might be wishful thinking, but the preliminary to action is planning. In any case, there is much to be said for excising political correctness from one’s life – anyone willing to take the first, personal, steps to become more frank and assertive, rather than wallow in a culture of self-pity and victimhood, will reap dividends in terms of social capital. What I mean with respect to the individual is simply: let others take care of themselves; you should be independent and a little selfish, even if it risks offending others. This culture of personal responsibility is no doubt antithetical to the dictates of communal values, but it is most consistent with progress and personal advancement.

The first step is to take responsibility. As popular academic Jordan Peterson says: ‘clean your room!’. At the core of political correctness is the idea that someone else is always responsible for your own shortcomings. If you are black, Hispanic, female… the mainstream narrative targets the white male as the nexus of all problems. Institutionalised racism, institutionalised misogyny, there’s always a scapegoat. However, this is not the place to undertake a discussion of the whole truth: what matters is whether you do what it takes to solve your problems. Blaming individual white males does absolutely nothing to help you; and joining the myriad movements aiming to reverse “institutional racism” simply infects you with their misguided philosophies, destroying any chance of you ever taking responsibilities for your own failures. Your weaknesses are your own, your failures are in your control. Circumstances can only be blamed so much – if unforeseen circumstances cause damage, injury or loss, that may be no failure, because they do not fall under one’s control. But failure to minimise or mitigate the loss given the chance to do so is personal failure.

By taking responsibility for your own failure, you gain a deeper understanding of your flaws and gain the knowledge to minimise them. You automatically seek ways to improve upon your own points and cover blind spots – by contrast, if one were blinded by political correctness there would be no need to improve since failure is a result of others’ flaws. This is a pernicious mindset that perpetuates mediocrity and upends the social stability of society. The better perspective is to be independent and responsible: if this results in an increase in self-serving behaviour, I submit that is a worthy price to pay.

The second step, which leads naturally from the first, is to prioritise self-improvement. With responsibility comes a desire to do things better and thus an impetus for self-improvement. There are many things which affect one’s happiness in life: shallow friends, busybody peers, domineering tutors… Yet the pot should not call the kettle black. If you believe with the utmost certainty that those surrounding you are superficial, then you, the reader, are probably the most superficial. The motivated person does not concern himself with the tawdriness of others. Rather, he ignores their foibles and pursues his goals with singular motivation. The similarities with the “red pill” movement or certain aspects of MGTOW (perhaps more the latter than the former) are not coincidental: many philosophies ancient and modern (the most notable of which is possibly Stoicism) have as their core the concept of self-improvement.

It is important to note here that self-improvement is diametrically opposed to political correctness. As already noted, one would not improve if he thought somebody else was always to be blamed for his shortcomings. To go even further, the very concept that one should have to improve is looked down upon by those infected by that liberal ideology: one only need peruse the forums and videos belonging to the “fat acceptance”, “trans acceptance” etc. movements to see that a rallying point is acceptance of failures and shortcomings. This is decadence at a mind-boggling level, showing the rot which has permeated society in its full glory. Most saddening is the widespread and even mainstream acceptance of these perspectives. Do not be afraid to admit your own shortcomings – but such admission must be followed by planning and rectification. Living with failure is one thing, celebrating it to the detriment of all else is another.

The third step is to always seek a balanced viewpoint. I have on more than one occasion emphasised this most important of intellectual perspectives. The greatest problem with the politicisation of the media and the internet is the tendency of their audience to radicalisation. People believe one perspective over another purely as a matter of gut feeling and predilection, when a preference should reflect a balanced weighing of options. The “cyberbalkanisation” of the internet (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmfSVTfvtgA) merely exacerbates the problem, secluding persons into forums and groups where perspectives never get challenged by opposing viewpoints. From an intellectual standpoint, one should always attempt to find the truth behind the deluge of “fake news”, or when that is not possible, to synthesise a balanced perspective taking into account the information to be found online. Allowances must be made in the latter case for falsifications.

A word about incels

An evocative article about the recent phenomenon of “incels” (read: involuntarily celibate, see https://www.thedailybeast.com/sympathy-for-the-incel) seems to give the impression that the majority of that community are merely misguided. The incels are the favourite enemies of the politically correct movements, comprising (according to the liberal media) mostly white males spurned by the female population and congregating on the incel.me forum. Yet, a mere perusal of that forum shows the depths to which a person may sink to without a healthy dose of ambition. I do not believe that the incels are simply misguided persons – their lifestyle has turned into a pathological dislike of progress and self-improvement. In fact, for all their opposition, the incels have much in common with the politically correct. Both eschew taking responsibility, preferring to blame others for their own shortcomings; both balk at the idea of true self-improvement balanced viewpoints; and both gravitate toward extreme perspectives whose basis is entirely anecdotal.

Picture: An instance of incel longing

Conclusion

These personal steps would have been reiterated a thousand times in a traditional household. A pity those are slowly becoming extinct. While I am sceptical that the coming years will bring any improvement, I do hope that realisation of the depths to which society has sunk to is forthcoming. I will at a later time deal with the steps that might be taken at an institutional level; that, however, deals with society on a more abstract level. These steps are enough for the individual to break free of the injurious influence of political correctness.

Frederick Yorck

Fat acceptance cringe #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrWMitkz7J4
Fat Acceptance cringe #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8w09BLiDz8

 Links: A brief compilation of the cancer festering within society