Three Disvalues
I dislike faith, loyalty, and patriotism. All three request obedience and support without question for an idea, a person, or a country. Faith asks you to believe without proof, loyalty asks you to follow someone even if they do not deserve it, and patriotism asks you to support your country even when its wrong. You might argue that the problem is blind faith, blind loyalty, and blind patriotism. “Blind” here is an unnecessary adjective, all three already include the concept of support without reflection. Faith is the clearest example of these, it specifically asks you to believe despite proof to the contrary.
If you only believe with some sort of proof, it’s not faith, it’s science. I have a myriad of beliefs, and when new information comes to me, I work hard to change those beliefs. I’ve changed my mind many times on large issues, and while I acknowledge that changing my mind is difficult and requires that I admit to being incorrect in the past, I know it’s better than holding onto ideas which no longer seem correct. The list of things I used to believe is very long. Science doesn’t have all the answers, as that’s the point of science, to be open to learning how the world actually works and shifting with new data.
If you follow someone because you’ve seen they are worthy of your support, that’s not loyalty, that’s devotion. I have many friends and heroes in my life, people I admire and care about. When people in my life come up short, I forgive them if I can and keep in mind their limitations. I don’t expect my introverted friends to all jump at social opportunities, I see them and accept them as they are. On the occasions that I learn tough information about someone, it’s not pleasant but I need to shift how I see them, understanding both the good and bad. My devotion is earned by lots of great people.
If you see the good and bad about your country, and thus want to improve it, that’s not patriotism, that’s citizenship. What is a country but a group of people, some unifying ideas, and land? Patriotism asks you to be loyal to your group of people, have faith in their unifying ideas, and an unwavering belief that your land is the best land. It’s the worst and most comprehensive of the three disvalues. By understanding the history of my country, I further understand the amazing and ground breaking things my county has done, and also the terrible things it has done. Citizenship comprehends as much of my country’s qualities as possible and striving to improve it for all people and to adjust its unifying ideas as necessary.
Why does anyone blindly obey? Many social groups require faith, loyalty, or patriotism. Joining and maintaining a social group is essential to people; they will go through physical and mental pain to be accepted by their group. I do not blame them for doing so, and I consider myself lucky to have friend and family groups that do not expect blind obediance.
I strive for science, devotion, and citizenship.