The older I get, the more clear it has become that the defining distinction between conservatives and progressives is the field of people you care about/consider worthy of concern. The broader you are concerned for the rights, well-being, and advancement of other people, the more progressive you are. The more narrow your concerns for yourself and your immediate connections, family, and friends, the more conservative you are.

It is why conservatives discover concern for LGBT rights after decades of rejecting them once their kid comes out. It is why “I have a black friend” is such a common refrain among the conservative crowd to avoid accusations of racism (because they probably genuinely do have concerns for their friend’s individual wellbeing, even if they don’t give a shit for black people at large). There is an awesome black dude that has reformed many KKK members just by becoming their friend so they actually care about a black person now. It is also why they think that Capitalism is the ideal form of economy, as the very principle and justification of it relies on the notion that all humans are inherently selfish and will accidently improve others lives just trying to generate profit for themselves. They do not feel true altruism for other people, at least not those who aren’t directly tied to themselves or that they do not see as being like themselves. Everything that they consider normal and typical from their own limited experience should be the default, should be protected, and anything that interferes with that, threatens that, or challenges their perception of that should be vehemently rejected. They literally cannot put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and suggesting they try is an attack on them.