Diagnosing the Republican Brain

• Bigdogg

  Interesting article on the differences in thinking between conservatives and liberals. First I ever heard of Conservapedia page.
  
  http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/chris-mooney-republican-brain-science-denial
  
• Devils Advocate

  

  Tough sell on this place. You would be hard pressed to have anyone here admit that a lib has a brain....
• gut

  Devils Advocate;1135385 wrote:Tough sell on this place. You would be hard pressed to have anyone here admit that a lib has a brain....

  Some do. But like those on the far right, the most vocal tend to be the most ignorant. I think it's almost a requirement in order to be so passionate and dug-in on one-side of issues that are much more shades of gray and complex.
  
  IMO, moderates are not nearly as vocal not because they are indifferent, but because they tend to have a much more measured and considered opinion. Moderates need to become more vocal because the nutjobs are hijacking the debate and preventing this country from moving forward responsibly.
• jhay78

  

  Devils Advocate;1135385 wrote:Tough sell on this place. You would be hard pressed to have anyone here admit that a lib has a brain....

  Liberals have brains, many of them are very intelligent. I think of a guy like BoatShoes, maybe the most intelligent poster on here, which makes his wrongness on so many issues so baffling.
• BoatShoes

  jhay78;1135484 wrote:Liberals have brains, many of them are very intelligent. I think of a guy like BoatShoes, maybe the most intelligent poster on here, which makes his wrongness on so many issues so baffling.

  I almost assuredly am not the most intelligent poster on this forum but the point of that article is that much of the grasping of reality is disjointed from intelligence. The Average Political Poster on OhioChatter is almost assuredly much more intelligent than the general population but the same beliefs about the world still form along ideological lines. Jmog for instance spends his life in the natural sciences but holds beliefs about the world that almost none of his peers do. It's not because he's not smart.
  
  It's because being Conservative, more so than liberalism, often times, it seems to me, is a way of a life more so than just politics. How often do you hear liberals proudly declare they are liberals? Not often. It's not because they aren't confident in their intuition that the people at large can competently help the poor or something...it's because being "liberal" isn't part of the fabric of their identity as being "conservative" seems to be for many conservatives in my opinion.
  
  For instance, Conservatives often have the meta-belief that Big/Large government is at least generally bad. The smaller belief that, for instance, there may be a role for active fiscal policy when interest rates are at zero to combat a large recession...this one unique scenario...as opposed to immediate rapid fiscal consolidation does not fit within that meta-belief shell. No amount of facts supporting that smaller belief is going to overcome the resilience of that meta-belief.
• jmog

  Imagine that...a liberal calling conservatives stupid. Is this really news? There are so many false statements about what conservatives believe in that article I don't know where to start.
  
  Boaty, one small correction to your statement about me. Those that hold similar beliefs as myself in the scientific world is definitely a minority but also definitely not "almost none" as you claim.
• gut

  jmog;1135609 wrote: Boaty, one small correction to your statement about me. Those that hold similar beliefs as myself in the scientific world is definitely a minority but also definitely not "almost none" as you claim.

  I'd also imagine a fair number remain "in the closet" because of the professional risk, not to mention the attacks and funding risk if you don't toe the liberal line. I think we see some of the same in academia where expressing conservative views comes with the risk of being marginalized, professionally, by liberal and outspoken colleagues. I don't think it's coincidence that you see far more Republicans in business/financial circles - and it's not because of greed or that they're less intelligent, there just isn't any risk to expressing conservative views. In fact the opposite is probably true - you don't see a lot of outspoken liberals in those circles because they would be ridiculed, and in that regard the liberal economic views are often as laughable and ignorant as some of the far right craziness brandied about. You're typically talking about a meritocracy, and socialism is almost ideologically opposed to the competitive self-reliant nature most in those circles view as a foundation of their success. Don't take this as purely an expression of greed, but a popular saying is "eat what you kill", not "eat what I kill".
  
  IMO, there's a "voting cycle" many seem to undergo as they advance thru various stages of life. Many come out of college long on ideals and dreams, short on experience and reality, and tend rather liberal/progressive. Later as the real world develops pragmatism and exposes the shortcomings/obstacles to realizing those ideals, they trend in the opposite direction. If you're even moderately successful and start seeing the impact to your wallet of crushing taxes even while you work harder to provide for your family, many will adopt the religion of fiscal conservatism. Then, in retirement and on a fixed income, the idea of the govt providing handouts to help pay the bills becomes appealing again. In short, people vote with their wallet and when their earnings potential is greatest, disdain for the govt taking from you is typically it's highest.
  
  A family with a $90k income is hardly rich, yet taking from them to provide for the "less fortunate" is somehow viewed as admirable, and constantly pointing the finger at the rich and crying that the rich need to pay more is, in part, designed to deflect/ignore that reality.
• jhay78

  

  I would agree that most conservatives are proud of the fact that their conservatism is a way of life, or worldview, and not just a political philosophy. I would add that conservatism is only as good as the things one is trying to conserve. In other words, conservatives play defense most of the time (or at least they should) when it comes to the Constitution, individual liberty, personal responsibility, American exceptionalism, etc, etc.
• gut

  jhay78;1135743 wrote:I would agree that most conservatives are proud of the fact that their conservatism is a way of life..

  That was an interesting bit of spin in the article. So, conservatives tend to affirm their beliefs in a positive way, and practice what they preach so to speak (no pun intended)? Whereas liberals don't announce themselves as liberals, not directly anyway, yet attacking and ridiculing conservatives is every bit a passive-aggressive way of declaring their beliefs. And, what, liberalism is not a way of life.... soooooooo, they're hypocrites then?
• HitsRus

  

  [INDENT]Tough sell on this place. You would be hard pressed to have anyone here admit that a lib has a brain.... [/INDENT]

  Yeah...maybe on this place...but out in public discourse, ...conservatives, and by extension, Republicans...are ridiculed as bible thumping backwoods Neandrathals.
  This article..."Diagnosing the Republican Brain"...is exactly what I'm talking about. Left wing elitists who think they have the answer for everything and the will to impose their viewpoint on everyone. They make crass and sweeping generalizations, and paint with a broad brush to serve their political purposes....as if everyone who believes in a small government footprint and individual liberty is the same. Aren't all the conservative R's who believe in government and personal fiscal responsibilty Bible reading scientific no-nothings?
  
  For the record, I 'believe' in evolution...and I believe that climate change is happening ( but with an undetermined cause.)
  But what I don't believe is that the government should politicize the scientific debate of either one. Nor do I feel the need to inflict my viewpoint on anyone else...and their in lies the biggest difference. between liberals and conservatives.