Politics has been called the “art of compromise”, but that title is only true in a democracy. In a democracy compromise is the only way to get things done. Democracy caters to the centre. It exerts tidal forces that push it’s participants to the centre of the political spectrum. That is why often, in a democracy, the dominant parties tend to end up, ideologically, looking very much like each other.

The extremes define themselves by their opposition to compromise. Extreme views exert the opposite force that democracy exerts. Extreme political views push participants away from the centre. The political extremes, whether “left” or “right”, favour dictatorial governments.

So the answer to the question is very simple. If you find yourself disliking democracy. If you find yourself wishing that a strong leader, who favours your political views, would assume control of the political discourse, and not relinquish it, there is a good chance that your political views are extremist in nature, no matter where they lie on the political compass.