How do the amygdala get like that?
Evidence would indicate it is a dopamine receptor mutation at the root of it, perhaps combined with early rearing experiences.
Dopamine provides a reward to the brain. Play sports, stick your neck out, almost get taken down, just escape, and then score a goal, and it is dopamine which is surging in your brain as you jump up and down with your teammates.
In Liberals, the dopamine receptor appears to be a little funky. Studies show a specific mutation (in the DRD4 gene)often correlates with a Liberal worldview. This leads them to not feel reward (or as much drive to strive- think Hippies and their lack of motiation). It is likely why depression is more common in Liberals.
As a result, the Liberal is less motivated to strive, and since experience while striving and risking is what leads the amygdala to develop, the Liberal ends up with a smaller amygdala, less cognizant of all the little cues that an experienced person registers as relevant.
It works as a strategy in nature, and probably humans too. If I’m a Liberal, I’m probably not as aggressive or violent. As a result, I am probably not likely to win a violent confrontation.
So lets say you and I live near each other. You’re Conservative and I’m Liberal. Crime surges. You get a gun, train, and prepare to confront criminals, like a Conservative. I do the Liberal head in the sand thing, and view everyone as safe and approachable.
You meet up with a mugger. Since you’re Conservative, and more aggressive, and probably fitter to some degree, you take the mugger on, pull your gun, execute your training, and kill the mugger. It’s a good strategy for you, if you’re fitter than most. You end up with a lot of resources at your disposal, and your choice of mates.
I’m more of a Barack 0bama type. If I take on the mugger I’m likely to die, because I’m skinny, weak, and docile. So my brain tells me the mugger is a good guy, and crime won’t happen. When I meet up with the mugger, I try to befriend him, because he is just a good guy down on his luck, and I really don’t deserve to have more than him. And if I can’t befriend him I just submit, and give him what he wants. It’s a better strategy than fighting, which would likely get me killed. And every aspect of my nature (and my neurobiology) leads me to this strategy of forced subservience. It is probably the root of the Stockholm syndrome.
Liberalism is a competitive strategy, and it is a good Darwinian strategy for a weak loser. The problem is, the weak losers of Liberalism think it is a good strategy for a nation of kick-ass winners to follow, and obviously we tend to disagree with what they feel driven to do as a result.