On a personal level, I found comparing myself to the standard definition of a conservative helpful in thinking more coherently.
I only recognized myself as a conservative when cognitive dissonance while exposed to MSM became overwhelming in 2004. Asking myself questions about my positions on the various social and fiscal issues has brought some clarity. No, I’m not a 100% grade AA conservative, but I now know where to get information without feeling like a Martian, and why trying to inform myself felt so bizarre in the past. So perhaps I don’t wear the label, but the concept is valuable.
Groupthink is probably a very basic human tendency. For those of us swimming against the stream, at least for me, it may be less a label or definition than reassurance that we are not crazy or unique.
