Liberty And Willpower

"We're just showing the rich people that we can do what we want." – London rioter, in August

This quote, and the people who acted it out – and who are acting it out presently in the "occupy" demonstrations right now in the US – show what liberty disconnected from self-responsibility looks like.

If we want to promote and live in a free society, enough of us have to develop the skills of self-control, self-discipline and willpower to earn it.

Willpower is a term that used to be considered a mighty virtue. Among some of the colleagues that I have known in the world of psychotherapy (most of whom were liberal), willpower has been considered, to a large degree, as something of a mistake. This is, I believe, part of the fallacy of the left.

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