Liberals are already geared to think a certain way?

Question

I often ask why liberals seem to be so irrational, basing their beliefs on pure emotion. It must have to do with the make up of the brain. Right vs. Left usage and things that go far over my head. For example, have you ever noticed that every artistic person you’ve ever met was a full blown liberal. THIS MUST HAVE TO DO WITH THE MAKE OF YOUR BRAIN ACTIVITY? I think, Im not positive, but the left side of the brain is more artistic, dreamy, and imaginative and the right side is the mathematical, problem solving side.
This must explain some of the more irrational behavior you see. And those that do it wont admit it because they know no better since their brain already reacts a certain way. Speaking sense to them is irrelevant because they will already be geared to think in a certain manner. How else can you explain some of the thought process’. It doesn’t have to do with IQ, like people so often try to say, because there are very intelligent people on both sides of the spectrum.

Answer 1

Murf, I disagree. I think people, despite all their cries to the contrary, are extremely susceptible to a certain type of brainwashing, and these people come from all spectrums.

For example, I was watching a Rush Limbaugh show a few years ago. It amazed me that otherwise rational people proudly proclaimed themselves to be Rush's "dittoheads" -- a dittohead being a person who simply rubberstamps another person's opinion without further review. Most fervently avid people, whether on the left or the right, take time to study and analyze issues -- but the "dittoheads" do neither, investing only pure faith in the infallibility of Limbaugh's analysis.

Religion, too, provides many examples of otherwise good people taken in by charismatic presentation. Even after Jim and Tammy Faye were exposed, and people knew their donations were going into 24K gold bath fixtures, their faithful followers rallied around them. And when Oral Roberts said he'd die if he didn't get $1M within a few days, hundreds of thousands sent checks.

The influx of conservative programs on radio and TV in the last few years has had an impact on our society. Minnesota, where I live, became a red state and has lost about an eighth of its democratic base. That's huge in politics. The conservatives have won a new fan base, and I think there's an argument that could be had over whether those fans really took time to study the issues, or whether they were brought into the fold by charismatic presenters and speech.

I believe that rather than left v. right brain, we live in a society that thrives on popular culture. It has become unfashionable, really, to be a full-blown liberal. "Moderate" has become the rallying cry of both sides.

As for artists, I think most live "of the world, not necessarily in it." Artists, by nature, tend to connect with ideals rather than realism. Idealistically, most of us believe that the world should be a place of peace and progress, while in reality peace often comes only after battle, and progress may not be had until blood has been spilled. Artists tend to place the ideals most-high, while turning a blind eye towards ugly realities.

Good question. Thanks.

Answer 2

You are absolutely right.
I am an artist.
You might be on to something. It has nothing to do with intelligence, there are some extremely intellectual and bright conservatives as well as liberals.
When you say you are speaking "sense" that of course is relative, because the very bright intellectual liberals who are trying to speak their "sense"-- like about healthcare, can't seem to get through to hard core righties either.

I agree it has something to do with your brain make up. I have been crying over homeless people, the poor and oppressed and the suffering of animals since I was a small child.
So, you are definately right. Being artistic might give you a predisposition to being a liberal. But also,
I have to agree with what others have said.
Pointing to an invisible enemy like "liberals" being the cause of problems sounds a bit fascist. And you can't necessarily pigeon hole your imaginary enemies "liberals"-- either.
I have many conservative views.
How do you tie up the loose ends with this "artistic" liberal? I'm:
For the death penalty
against abortion and want it to be banned completely after 9 weeks unless the mother's actual life is at risk.
I am for border control and want the illegal immigrants kicked out of our country.
So socially I am conservative.
What name do you give people who are just a tad liberal? If it's 'liberal" no matter how many other conservative views they hold,
you might want to put a bit more thought into this.

Answer 3

People are geared to think in different ways. Physiological make-up creates some biases. Obviously, there are other factors.
.
I believe political bias comes more from a "world view" (experience) than from brain wiring.

The most basic definitions of conservative versus liberal is hold the status quo versus try something new. It is a basic "solutions have problems" or "problems have solutions" difference.

I would say most rational people of either bias would say that some problems are better solved with conservative solutions and some problems are better solved with liberal solutions.

Answer 4

There was a report of a study that showed that both ends of the political spectrum have distinct and different personality and character makeup. Conservatives and leftists alike are what they are because of their psychology, not their ideas - the ideas flow from their personality and character matrix. That's why they cannot listen to each other and why each thinks the other is being obdurate.

The question is really, which personality/character type is best for a democratic republic and for the whole nation? Which type of personality most closely is in keeping with the principles of the founding fathers and the framers of the Constitution?

Western Liberal Democracy - the governments of most of the modern states of North America and Europe - cannot do well as such with Conservative mentalities in charge, because the fundamental psychology of conservatism strongly tends to undermine its principles.

Answer 5

Have you ever considered that your way of thinking sounds completely irrational to those who do not share your views? You know, one of the many wonderful things about this country is that we do not all have to agree, and that to disagree with someone's views does not make their views faulty. It seems to me that the way most people act is a result of the environment in which they were raised, the experiences they've had, their education and socioeconomic status, and lots of other things. This is why you see blocks of people in a geographic region voting in similar ways-you know, red states, blue states, etc. I am a liberal because I was raised in very poor and troubled circumstances, and we did thankfully have welfare, public housing, food stamps and medical care to fall back on for a few years while my mother got on her feet, because I know that without these government programs, my life, and the lives of my siblings, would have been much worse. There are 4 kids in my family, and 3 of us have college degrees, I have a Master's degree, and we all have very good professional positions. I know people think welfare is money wasted, but I am here to tell you, it is not--it, and many other programs funded by tax dollars are very helpful and necessary to the functioning of society. I also look to other nations--those nations with higher standards of living, like Sweden and Norway, which all have very liberal governments, and their citizens live well, have very low crime rates, and high levels of educational attainment and overall health. I think these are good and worthwhile pursuits for a government in regards to its citizens-much better, in fact, than pursuing a war based on lies, which has proven to do little else than costing taxpayers close to $300 billion, costing us the lives of too many young people and producing a whole new breed of terrorists which did not exist before our invasion of Iraq. You see, I actually DO believe in the sanctity of human life, and therefore, I believe it is the responsibility of a decent society that we see to it that our fellow citizens are not only saved from being aborted, but are more importantly given the opportunity to floursih once they're born.

Answer 6

Generalizations are not often a solid concept. yet, on the different hand, they are many times in line with some middle of certainty. for example, interior the USA, there are a number of Christian businesses that are very aggressive in attempting to enforce their version of morality, that's very restrictive and illiberal. Even oppressive. i do no longer think of which would be noted as "liberal" via any definition of the term. for the explanation that certainty, it incredibly is comprehensible why one might gererally evaluate non-Christians extra liberal than Christians.

Answer 7

Huh?

I'm a liberal, professional scientist. The vast majority of fellow professional scientists are also liberal.

Most of the conservatives I know use faith as their guiding principle - not reason - that's why they believe in creationism instead of evolution. Conservatives rely on emotion, instead of reason, on any number of issues including abortion, national defense...

I think you have it the other way around

Answer 8

Environment plays a large role in development of people and their ideas. You are not born or geared to think in a certain way, you learn to act in a certain way based on your environment.

Answer 9

"I'm Proud to Say I'm a 'Liberal'"

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then … we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people--their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties--someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

-- John F. Kennedy, September 14, 1960

Answer 10

Bottom line- you're prejudiced against liberals. As a conservative, you hate that anyone would disagree with you. So you bash the other person, the liberal.

Lose the hate. It will do you wonders.