about political leanings
This week's Scientific American e-letter contains the article "Political Science: What Being Neat or Messy Says about Political Leanings" and asks the question: Do genes determine whether you'll be liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican?
The most fascinating paragraph for me is this:
Positive personality traits associated with liberalism (self-reliant, resilient, dominating and energetic) and negative ones attributed to conservatism (easily victimized or offended, indecisive, fearful and rigid) appear as young as nursery school–age kids—and correlate with those children's political beliefs in adulthood, according to a 20-year study published in 2006 in the Journal of Research in Personality. More recently, scientists linked the strength of a person's startle response to their political leanings: conservatives tended to scare easier, blinking harder than liberals when they heard a loud noise.
Are there any positive traits associated with conservatism, and negative ones associated with liberalism? I mean, it looks so much better to be a liberal. In fact, most of the liberal traits are those so often advocated by conservatives when arguing with us liberals about what (if any) social programs are needed to help poor, disadvantaged people. For example, I read "self-reliant" as "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!" and "dominating" as "we need a strong military."
Interesting that conservatives are "easily victimized or offended" in pre-school. We see that in Sarah Palin and John McCain's blaming the "liberal media elite" for "manipulating" how Palin appeared on CBS and ABC interviews. As if her answers didn't speak for themselves! She is to all appearances an idiot. Maybe an idiot-savant, in the sense that she excels at performance. (The pageant training paid off!)
If these are indeed the traits of conservatives, I'm not surprised that McCain and gang are using typical bully tactics against Obama. The victim does often become the victimizer, as we know. The bullies I know are so mean when trying to get their way, and then dissolve into tears and "I'll tell my Mommy!" when they are challenged by someone stronger. It's all there in pre-school!
Is there hope for conservatives? Can we help them grow up and accept reality, rather than wishing it were different? Will they ever see that life is messy and constantly changing, and the key to happiness is to go with it?
The most fascinating paragraph for me is this:
Positive personality traits associated with liberalism (self-reliant, resilient, dominating and energetic) and negative ones attributed to conservatism (easily victimized or offended, indecisive, fearful and rigid) appear as young as nursery school–age kids—and correlate with those children's political beliefs in adulthood, according to a 20-year study published in 2006 in the Journal of Research in Personality. More recently, scientists linked the strength of a person's startle response to their political leanings: conservatives tended to scare easier, blinking harder than liberals when they heard a loud noise.
Are there any positive traits associated with conservatism, and negative ones associated with liberalism? I mean, it looks so much better to be a liberal. In fact, most of the liberal traits are those so often advocated by conservatives when arguing with us liberals about what (if any) social programs are needed to help poor, disadvantaged people. For example, I read "self-reliant" as "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!" and "dominating" as "we need a strong military."
Interesting that conservatives are "easily victimized or offended" in pre-school. We see that in Sarah Palin and John McCain's blaming the "liberal media elite" for "manipulating" how Palin appeared on CBS and ABC interviews. As if her answers didn't speak for themselves! She is to all appearances an idiot. Maybe an idiot-savant, in the sense that she excels at performance. (The pageant training paid off!)
If these are indeed the traits of conservatives, I'm not surprised that McCain and gang are using typical bully tactics against Obama. The victim does often become the victimizer, as we know. The bullies I know are so mean when trying to get their way, and then dissolve into tears and "I'll tell my Mommy!" when they are challenged by someone stronger. It's all there in pre-school!
Is there hope for conservatives? Can we help them grow up and accept reality, rather than wishing it were different? Will they ever see that life is messy and constantly changing, and the key to happiness is to go with it?
posted by julieannerickson at 4:55 PM
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