Conservatives - born that way?

[Rand]

A study to be published next year at University College London suggests that conservative brains are structured differently than the brains of other people.... Specifically, the research shows that people with conservative tendencies have a larger amygdala and a smaller anterior cingulate than other people. The amygdala—typically thought of as the "primitive brain"—is responsible for reflexive impulses, like fear. The anterior cingulate is thought to be responsible for courage and optimism. This one-two punch could be responsible for many of the anecdotal claims that conservatives "think differently" from others.​

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/12/29/conservative_brains/index.html


Interesting .... I guess if it is not a choice, we can not condemn them, is that correct?

Rand

 

[thermodynamics]

Interesting .... I guess if it is not a choice, we can not condemn them, is that correct?

Rand​

If we don't want to look like hypocrites, we best not condemn them. We can still question their policies/beliefs.​

 

[bankside]

A study to be published next year at University College London suggests that conservative brains are structured differently than the brains of other people.... Specifically, the research shows that people with conservative tendencies have a larger amygdala and a smaller anterior cingulate than other people. The amygdala—typically thought of as the "primitive brain"—is responsible for reflexive impulses, like fear. The anterior cingulate is thought to be responsible for courage and optimism. This one-two punch could be responsible for many of the anecdotal claims that conservatives "think differently" from others.​

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/12/29/conservative_brains/index.html


Interesting .... I guess if it is not a choice, we can not condemn them, is that correct?

Rand

No, but perhaps we can treat them.

 

[Rand]

If we don't want to look like hypocrites, we best not condemn them. We can still question their policies/beliefs.

Ok - just so I understand the rules ... I know, they don't play by them anyway, but why sink to their level .... do celebrate your life

Rand

 

[Rand]

No, but perhaps we can treat them.

sort of a ex-conservative training seminar? Can having an open mind be taught? Can learning to live without fear be taught? Can learning to live without having to be superior to others be taught?

do celebrate your life,
Rand

 

[T-Rexx]

Maybe there are drugs that can control their behavior.

 

[Supersix]

Spoken like true police-state communists. And, weren't the Nazis notorious for saying jews were physiologically inferior? I reject the premise of the whole study and the suggestion that there is something abnormal about someone with a particular opinion. And even if the findings are correct, what about the opposite, that maybe liberals are the abnormal ones? Do we really know THAT much about the human brain? And, it looks like you guys think this is funny. If the situation were reversed, you'd be screaming bloody murder to no end! And, people do change their hearts and minds throughout their lifetimes. DO these brain scans suddenly look different at those times? I highly doubt it. This is just bullshit for left wing snobs to joke about, since they are unable to laugh at themselves.

 

[bankside]

Spoken like true police-state communists. And, weren't the Nazis notorious for saying jews were physiologically inferior? I reject the premise of the whole study and the suggestion that there is something abnormal about someone with a particular opinion. And even if the findings are correct, what about the opposite, that maybe liberals are the abnormal ones? Do we really know THAT much about the human brain? And, it looks like you guys think this is funny. If the situation were reversed, you'd be screaming bloody murder to no end! And, people do change their hearts and minds throughout their lifetimes. DO these brain scans suddenly look different at those times? I highly doubt it. This is just bullshit for left wing snobs to joke about, since they are unable to laugh at themselves.

LOL, it's funny because I don't take the study all that seriously.

i.e. I'm not blowing things out of proportion.

Allow me to repeat:
I'm...
not...
blowing...
things...
out...
of...
proportion!

It's just one study. Incidentally, having abnormal opinions based on the size of your amygdala is NOT the premise of the study, it's MY premise, and that was mostly for comedic effect. Mostly....However now we have a textbook case of someone blowing something out of proportion, possibly due to the overactive state of a conservative amygdala, leading to an exaggerated fear-based response. LOL.

PS. NAZIs were not running a communist police state.

 

[TheFireGod]

What about people who went from one to the other?

2-3 years ago I was more leftist than most of the Democrats in DC. Now I'm more more socially liberal than Democrats, and more fiscally to the right than most Republicans.

I don't consider myself Conservative though, I'll call myself either a Liberal, Laisse-faire Liberal, Free Market Liberal, or Libertarian. To me Conservative is still fear of change and a strong supporter of fervent nationalism, and my fervent nationalism so far was displayed only in Olympic Hockey and the World Cup.

 

[CowboyBob]

{Quote of deleted post and subsequent comment on it removed by moderator}

Conservatives are afraid of change, wanting to cling to the past, are selfish (I've got mine, and the rest of you can go to hell) and are afraid of others rising to power. Women, minorities, non Christians, the educated, immigrants and people of other races are things to fear and despise. In other words, someone "different" than yourself.

These are primal instincts that those poor unfortunates don't have the ability to overcome. Conservatives are easily influenced by predators that exploit their fears. (Fox News, Limbaugh, Gingrich, Coulter, Palin)

This is what the Republican party has morphed into. Interesting to see they're born that way. Now I feel pity for these walking birth defects.

 

[JB3]

Conservatives are afraid of change, wanting to cling to the past, are selfish (I've got mine, and the rest of you can go to hell) and are afraid of others rising to power. Women, minorities, non Christians, the educated, immigrants and people of other races are things to fear and despise. In other words, someone "different" than yourself.

These are primal instincts that those poor unfortunates don't have the ability to overcome. Conservatives are easily influenced by predators that exploit their fears. (Fox News, Limbaugh, Gingrich, Coulter, Palin)

This is what the Republican party has morphed into. Interesting to see they're born that way. Now I feel pity for these walking birth defects.

What you're describing is a reactionary, not a conservative. What you're describing are people that make up the bulk of the republican party right now, but almost none of which would actually fit the bill of being conservative.

I'd also be interested to see the results of a much larger study; this was done on just 92 people which makes its results questionable, to say the least.

 

[JB3]

Ah, an argument for eugenics.

What in God's name is wrong with you?

 

[CowboyBob]

I'd also be interested to see the results of a much larger study; this was done on just 92 people which makes its results questionable, to say the least.

Of course. If it's just 92 people it's not accurate. If it would be 92,000 studies and the same results were found then it would be more realistic.

 

[JB3]

Of course. If it's just 92 people it's not accurate. If it would be 92,000 studies and the same results were found then it would be more realistic.

That's why no one should take this seriously. This is just some doctoral student's thesis, and probably won't ever be replicated on a scale to be worthwhile. (Its also worth noting that the study was done on 90 students and 2 members of parliament, so who knows what else was going on with the students in the study)

 

[Kulindahr]

sort of a ex-conservative training seminar? Can having an open mind be taught? Can learning to live without fear be taught? Can learning to live without having to be superior to others be taught?

do celebrate your life,
Rand

I saw this awhile back. But the article I encountered made something being missed here more plain:

if being conservative is about brain structure, so is being liberal. The shoe is on the other foot.

And don't forget a bigger point: if both (and other, probably) sets of brain structure have survived all this time, then evolution at least considers both to be useful. Getting rid of either could be a mistake.

 

[Rand]

What you're describing is a reactionary, not a conservative. What you're describing are people that make up the bulk of the republican party right now, but almost none of which would actually fit the bill of being conservative.

I'd also be interested to see the results of a much larger study; this was done on just 92 people which makes its results questionable, to say the least.

It is just an interesting article. It might shed some light on the whys and hows the current political climate has developed and has continued. To some, it might even shed reflect on how the reactionary base is stirred and heated.

I would agree with you in that classical definitions of conservative might not fit the current usage, but then the English language is living and changing and I think that the bulk of the republican party defines conservatism within this country.

thank you for your thoughtful comments!

please do celebrate your life

Rand

 

[Rand]

What about people who went from one to the other?

2-3 years ago I was more leftist than most of the Democrats in DC. Now I'm more more socially liberal than Democrats, and more fiscally to the right than most Republicans.

I don't consider myself Conservative though, I'll call myself either a Liberal, Laisse-faire Liberal, Free Market Liberal, or Libertarian. To me Conservative is still fear of change and a strong supporter of fervent nationalism, and my fervent nationalism so far was displayed only in Olympic Hockey and the World Cup.

I don't know if there is a fundamental change in your thinking. I think your goals have remained the same and they are not the "leave-it-alone / what was good for our fathers/founders is good enough for us" goals of what is now conservative thinking.

How you achieve your goals should change. If you are open minded to ideas and do exhibit rational thought, your goals can and will change. I do not know if your values and value system changes. But one of the points of the study seems to be that you handle change better if a section of your brain is larger or another section smaller than those classified as "conservatives".

thank you for your comment-
please do celebrate your life.

Rand

 

[Rand]

These are primal instincts that those poor unfortunates don't have the ability to overcome. Conservatives are easily influenced by predators that exploit their fears. (Fox News, Limbaugh, Gingrich, Coulter, Palin)

And due to their exposure, they have claimed the definition and positions of Conservatives and Conservatism for the US. And the study seems to indicate that due to their fear of change, these people can manipulate the majority of the base with hot topics such as gay marriage and such.

thank you for your comments

please do celebrate your life,

Rand

 

[Rand]

What you're describing is a reactionary, not a conservative. What you're describing are people that make up the bulk of the republican party right now, but almost none of which would actually fit the bill of being conservative.

I'd also be interested to see the results of a much larger study; this was done on just 92 people which makes its results questionable, to say the least.

My Webster's has "conservatism, n. the principles and practices of a conservative person or party; tendency to oppose change in institutions and methods."

"Conservative, adj. 2. tending to preserve established traditions of institutions and to resist or oppose any changes in these; ..."

And with these definitions in mind, the study seems correct in drawing some correlations between brain centers that govern on fear of change to the ideas of conservatism.

thank you for your comments -

please do celebrate your life!

Rand

 

[Rand]

I saw this awhile back. But the article I encountered made something being missed here more plain:

if being conservative is about brain structure, so is being liberal. The shoe is on the other foot.

And don't forget a bigger point: if both (and other, probably) sets of brain structure have survived all this time, then evolution at least considers both to be useful. Getting rid of either could be a mistake.

Wonderful observations - - if I had a point in posting this, it would be that good decisions are based on understanding and part of that understanding is knowing where our feelings of the topic are derived.

Can we be subjective if our rational fear of change is dampened or if our irrational fear of change is being heightened? Would knowing that we are going to fight change allow us to look beyond our fears to seek value. Would knowing that our openness to change allow us to look beyond our desire to assess the damage change causes?

How can the merits of an action be properly assessed if the judges are automatically prejudiced towards one side or the other? And, as you pointed out, is evolution saying that compromise is the best solution?

thank you for commenting - I do appreciate your thoughts,

do celebrate your life, please.

Rand