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Are your politics biological? (vanity)
9/3/03 | self

Posted on 09/03/2003 9:46:45 AM PDT by TheBigB

Just to take a break from the "Arnold is a RINO/Tom can't win" vanity threads, I wanted to see what Freepers thought about an idea that's been going around in my head for a bit. And I hope that the Mods don't stick it in chat where no one will see it. :^)

Most of us have heard of the left-brain/right-brain theory...that both hemispheres are involved in higher cognitive functioning, with each half of the brain specializing in complementary fashion for different modes of thinking, and that each person is predisposed towards one side or the other. Here are some general characteristics of each side:

Left Brain: step-by-step reasoning, logical, mathematical, speaking, dominant, pattern-user

Right brain: "creative", mystical, musical, visual-pictorial, submissive, pattern-seeker

Based on everyday observations (not exactly scientific) it seems that conservatives are, for the most part, left-brain people...logical, straightforward, step-by-step people. While liberals (and this really makes sense if you look at Hollywood) are the "creative", artsy types. Poets, musicians, artists, etc...all usually liberal.

So, if we are programmed in a genetic way to prefer one side of our brain over the other, does it make sense to say that we are at least marginally predisposed to prefer conservatism to liberalism, or vice-versa? Here is a site that will offer more details:

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/2brains/

Look at the characteristics of each side...one IMHO stands out...LB people prefer "Western" thought, while RBs prefer "Eastern" thought.

I'd very much like to hear your opinions.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: faq

1 posted on 09/03/2003 9:46:45 AM PDT by TheBigB
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To: Right Wing Professor
*ping* to someone whose opinion I'd really like to hear.
2 posted on 09/03/2003 9:47:18 AM PDT by TheBigB
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To: TheBigB
There were scientists working on the atomic bomb who were communists or communist sympathizers.
3 posted on 09/03/2003 9:51:02 AM PDT by MEG33
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To: MEG33
True. There could be, I don't know, thousands/millions of exceptions. I don't think you'd be hard-wired to think one way or the other...my point was in asking are we at least *marginally* predisposed to one way or the other, based on the dominance of one half or the other.
4 posted on 09/03/2003 9:56:00 AM PDT by TheBigB
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To: TheBigB
There are seperated twin studies out there that do show that personality traits, including politics, have a biological component. The important thing to realize is that biology seems to produce a tendency to develop in a certain way but not a certainty of developing a certain way. We ultimately are who we are because of nature and nurture.
5 posted on 09/03/2003 10:03:02 AM PDT by Question_Assumptions
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To: Question_Assumptions
Ah yes, nature vs. nurture. :) I wish there was a science ping list I could use...
6 posted on 09/03/2003 10:05:11 AM PDT by TheBigB
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To: TheBigB
Depends on the meaning of conservative. I come from a long line of very active Republicans.

But, my parents and my late grandparents were extreme social conservatives. They also believed that a big government was good, and that the government should help the poor and all that. Kind of like socialists with a decidedly Christian bent.

I'm the only one in the family who cares about small governments and lowering spending. I consider myself to be the only true conservative in my family (although we are all Republicans), and I'm a right-minder, and the rest of my family is half right-minded and half left-minded.

Perhaps a better yardstick would be to measure the IQ. I've never met a smart liberal--at least a liberal who knew anything about history or politics or economics or religion. Seriously. The most recent political argument I got into, some idiot was claiming that the Council of Macon decided that women had souls by only one vote in 585 A.D. I blew his stupidity out of the water.
7 posted on 09/03/2003 10:05:55 AM PDT by Nataku X (Never give Bush any power you wouldn't want to give to Hillary.)
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To: TheBigB
..does it make sense to say that we are at least marginally predisposed to prefer conservatism to liberalism, or vice-versa?

Yes, I think that humans are slightly predisposed to be conservative or liberal. All things being equal, the result will be what one is exposed to by parents and local society. A coal miner son's tend to be union Democrats. The coal mine owner's son, might be Democrat or Republican, depending on who Daddy has bought in the coal miners union. The problem exposes itself with the fact that the popular media is liberal, therefore, popular politics are liberal.

The brain, no matter how much intellect or education, is still subject to propaganda and its own neurosis.

8 posted on 09/03/2003 10:06:00 AM PDT by elbucko (The 2nd Amendment. The original "Homeland Security".)
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To: TheBigB
I'm left handed (right brain). Does that mean I can't be a conservative? Bummer
9 posted on 09/03/2003 10:21:49 AM PDT by Prof Engineer (HHD - Blast it Jim. I'm an Engineer, not a walking dictionary.)
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To: Prof Engineer
If you're ambidextrous, you're a Libertarian. :^)
10 posted on 09/03/2003 10:32:04 AM PDT by TheBigB
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To: Prof Engineer
My left handed daughter is a conservative.She is also very creative.She is ambidextrous,however..bats right handed!
11 posted on 09/03/2003 10:33:45 AM PDT by MEG33
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To: MEG33
My son is the same way. He is a genius, thinks very methodiclally, is extremely creative and is well rounded with a few points added to each catergory. (I think he's real cool) Maybe braindedness doesn't have to do with a person's personality at all. Maybe its a mixture of both nature and nurture. Or maybe its just predispositions given to some that turn out for the better. And what about savanns? What side of the brain do they use?
12 posted on 09/03/2003 2:57:18 PM PDT by RewbixFlash
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To: TheBigB
Aprreciate the compliment, but I don't know much about left-brain/ right-brain stuff. Most decent scientists have to use both lateral and linear thinking. On the other hand, most scientists are hidebound conservative in their attitudes, but consider themselves liberals, so maybe that makes sense.

Me, I've just become one with my inner reactionary :-)

13 posted on 09/03/2003 9:06:00 PM PDT by Right Wing Professor
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To: TheBigB
Right brain: "creative", mystical, musical, visual-pictorial, submissive, pattern-seeker

Don't think much of your theory, BB. But then I'm a right brainer and to the right of most of you here.
14 posted on 09/03/2003 11:39:26 PM PDT by ETERNAL WARMING
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To: Nakatu X
I've never met a smart liberal--at least a liberal who knew anything about history or politics or economics or religion.

Don't underestimate them. The intelligent ones are pushing the agenda, not the sheeples. They know exactly what they're doing.
15 posted on 09/03/2003 11:41:36 PM PDT by ETERNAL WARMING
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To: TheBigB
I don't think it is a left brain-right brain matter so much as an orientation of how one see the world and one's place in it. Most of the liberals I know tend to have a child like attitude that is constantly seeing some outside authority to fix their lives for them. Their concept of personal responsibility is limited. Conservatives tend toward wanting to be left alone and can function independently.

I had a conversation with someone recently that illustrates this point. We were discussing the high cost of medical care. She was bewailing the fact that the government does not fix the problem like they do in Europe. I said that although Europeans had some access to medical care it was not the rosy picture it is often painted to be. I said the way to fix the high cost of medical care was to do away with medical insurance except in cases of major medical. I said also a cap should be placed on on malpractice settlements. It is insurance companies that have driven up the cost of care more than any other factor. They have created a captive audience for their product since one cannot afford medical help without it. To her this idea was unthinkable. "Well how will we pay for treatment without insurance". I said with cash. If the cost of care was tied to what the market dictated one would find as if by magic it was suddenly much more affordable. She could not even begin to understand this idea. She had never paid cash for medical services but had always depended on either her insurance company or Medicare to solve the problem for her. She got very emotional and insisted that I wanted people to die. I said that well people are dieing now because they can't afford care and they are dieing in Europe because of the long wait for basic services. If what I suggested was implemented and say a doctors visit became $15.00 over night and preventive medicine was equally as affordable one would find people actually going to doctors before major health problems became an issue. If people paid cash they would know where their money is going instead of allowing doctor's to charge insurance companies over $150.00 for a 15 minute visit or $75.00 for a basic toe nail trim. She never got what I was saying because for her it is impossible for individuals to solve problems only the government and large organizations can do it.

16 posted on 09/04/2003 6:42:30 AM PDT by foolscap
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