Liberals and conservatives literally think differently, really!

[KeilanS]

Personally, I'm going to call this garbage. I find the idea of a "liberal gene" or a "conservative gene" more ridiculous than the idea of a "gay gene". I think people's political position is shaped first by the environment they are raised in, and ultimately by what they choose to believe after considering the options. I often find myself as the most conservative among liberals and the most liberal among conservatives, so where does this put me? Do I have a "moderate gene"?

Edit: How far do you think they plan to take this? What if I'm largely liberal but opposed to evolution? Do I have the "liberal gene" but was somehow born lacking the "evolutionist gene" and the "pro-choice gene" and so on...

[nebula]

Good answer, Keilan!

[MorningGlory]

The Lord doesn't care which party one votes for. This 'study' sounds like Al Gore may have conducted it anyway. The ideal, IMHO, would be somewhere between the two extremes. Who wants to only be able to hit one note, all the time? Remember, those who go too far in either direction are in danger of falling off.

[MorningGlory]

Personally, I'm going to call this garbage. I find the idea of a "liberal gene" or a "conservative gene" more ridiculous than the idea of a "gay gene". I think people's political position is shaped first by the environment they are raised in, and ultimately by what they choose to believe after considering the options. I often find myself as the most conservative among liberals and the most liberal among conservatives, so where does this put me? Do I have a "moderate gene"?

Edit: How far do you think they plan to take this? What if I'm largely liberal but opposed to evolution? Do I have the "liberal gene" but was somehow born lacking the "evolutionist gene" and the "pro-choice gene" and so on...

When you put it that way, Keilan, it sounds even sillier than when I first read the article!

[Fraught]

The Lord doesn't care which party one votes for. This 'study' sounds like Al Gore may have conducted it anyway. The ideal, IMHO, would be somewhere between the two extremes. Who wants to only be able to hit one note, all the time? Remember, those who go too far in either direction are in danger of falling off.

I'm so glad you said that - i was beginning to think i might be schizophrenic, reading parts of both that sounded like me!

[MorningGlory]

The Lord doesn't care which party one votes for. This 'study' sounds like Al Gore may have conducted it anyway. The ideal, IMHO, would be somewhere between the two extremes. Who wants to only be able to hit one note, all the time? Remember, those who go too far in either direction are in danger of falling off.

I'm so glad you said that - i was beginning to think i might be schizophrenic, reading parts of both that sounded like me!

[forrestkc]

Personally, I'm going to call this garbage. I find the idea of a "liberal gene" or a "conservative gene" more ridiculous than the idea of a "gay gene". I think people's political position is shaped first by the environment they are raised in, and ultimately by what they choose to believe after considering the options. I often find myself as the most conservative among liberals and the most liberal among conservatives, so where does this put me? Do I have a "moderate gene"?

Edit: How far do you think they plan to take this? What if I'm largely liberal but opposed to evolution? Do I have the "liberal gene" but was somehow born lacking the "evolutionist gene" and the "pro-choice gene" and so on...

I think you probably have the liberal personality traits. I don't think the study dealt with whether they are genetic or developmental in origin. I do not think the notion that ideology has a basis in psychology is far fetched at all. We are all are predisposed to certain ways of thinking because of personality traits we have. There was another study done a few years ago on authoritarian tendencies (either being authoritarian or being predisposed to submit to it), in the study they found that while all conservatives certainly are not authoritarian, the majority of authoritarians are conservative. Now think about that, conservatives are typically more apt to be more literalist and orthodox in their religious beliefs, that would certainly be an example of a predisposition to submitting to authority and not questioning it at all. On the other hand, many times those same conservatives are much more apt to trade civil liberties for promises of security. Liberals on the other hand are much more apt to question government authority, yet are also more apt to be liberal in their religious beliefs as well, and much less literalistic. There are other differences as well, conservatives tend to see things in black and white, liberals in shades of gray. Psychology is very interesting because we can learn so much about ourselves from it. For example, if one is a liberal, they might recognize certain patterns of thinking, and catch themselves on some issues and then tell themselves that it is actually indeed a black and white issue. In contrast a conservative might recognize certain patterns of thinking and not be so knee jerk in their reaction to science or new ideas. Recognizing the patterns in how we think helps us to be more pragmatic and analytical in our thinking.

[artsylady]

Depending on who's reading the data, this study could also show that conservatives are more contemplative, taking longer to make decisions.

Or that liberals have better hand-eye coordination from all that practice on their X-boxes.

"Analyzing the data, Sulloway said liberals were 4.9 times as likely as conservatives to show activity in the brain circuits that deal with conflicts, and 2.2 times as likely to score in the top half of the distribution for accuracy."

So liberals show more activity in the part of the brain that deals with conflicts? Is that a surprise? Is that because they are naturally combative?

Is that why the majority of conservatives are quiet when a liberal is elected and in power but when a conservative is voted in and in power all hell breaks loose? It's their brains? They can't help it?

"Sulloway said the results could explain why President Bush demonstrated a single-minded commitment to the Iraq war and why some people perceived Sen. John F. Kerry, the liberal Massachusetts Democrat who opposed Bush in the 2004 presidential race, as a "flip-flopper" for changing his mind about the conflict."

John F Kerry IS a flipflopper. Does this studay also show us why liberals don't see this?

[Celtic Warrior]

I've wondered about that at times, if the liberal brain was somehow different, that it could actually think the way it does.

If that is the case, I'm glad I got a conservative brain! Having a liberal one sounds scary.

Not nearly half as scary as having a conservative one! Good thing I've got NEITHER ONE so I can actually think past the political rhetoric

and consider facts and reality instead of politics, deception, half truths (or less) and fear mongering as a basis for decision making

[patricia1]

Personally, I'm going to call this garbage. I find the idea of a "liberal gene" or a "conservative gene" more ridiculous than the idea of a "gay gene". I think people's political position is shaped first by the environment they are raised in, and ultimately by what they choose to believe after considering the options. I often find myself as the most conservative among liberals and the most liberal among conservatives, so where does this put me? Do I have a "moderate gene"?

Edit: How far do you think they plan to take this? What if I'm largely liberal but opposed to evolution? Do I have the "liberal gene" but was somehow born lacking the "evolutionist gene" and the "pro-choice gene" and so on...

I think you probably have the liberal personality traits. I don't think the study dealt with whether they are genetic or developmental in origin. I do not think the notion that ideology has a basis in psychology is far fetched at all. We are all are predisposed to certain ways of thinking because of personality traits we have. There was another study done a few years ago on authoritarian tendencies (either being authoritarian or being predisposed to submit to it), in the study they found that while all conservatives certainly are not authoritarian, the majority of authoritarians are conservative. Now think about that, conservatives are typically more apt to be more literalist and orthodox in their religious beliefs, that would certainly be an example of a predisposition to submitting to authority and not questioning it at all. On the other hand, many times those same conservatives are much more apt to trade civil liberties for promises of security. Liberals on the other hand are much more apt to question government authority, yet are also more apt to be liberal in their religious beliefs as well, and much less literalistic. There are other differences as well, conservatives tend to see things in black and white, liberals in shades of gray. Psychology is very interesting because we can learn so much about ourselves from it. For example, if one is a liberal, they might recognize certain patterns of thinking, and catch themselves on some issues and then tell themselves that it is actually indeed a black and white issue. In contrast a conservative might recognize certain patterns of thinking and not be so knee jerk in their reaction to science or new ideas. Recognizing the patterns in how we think helps us to be more pragmatic and analytical in our thinking.

sometimes I feel like a nut..sometimes i don't..... (mounds barrrrss.) It depends on which side of the bed I get up on and also which part of my brain is working...lol.... my smileys are not working now either.. they do not like politics...lol