Are Liberals Smarter?

[D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse]

rec3000: "The study suggests that conservatives have an inflexible way of thinking, a resistance to change, and a lesser ability to cope with change."

-------------

I have running feuds with a couple conservative friends.

Conservatives in general - and social cons in particular - believe in absolutes: right and wrong, black and white, there is no gray area... or if there is, it's immoral.

There IS a god. The bible is the inerrant word of that god.

They refuse to believe in moral ambiguities. The United States is ALWAYS right when at war. The United States is the greatest nation on god's green earth.

NEVER negotiate with the terrorists or "evil" rogue dictators.


This inflexibility is really jarring when you talk to consevative evangelicals. Your run-of-the-mill religious liberal believes in god, a general god, but is flexible enough to think of the stories presented in the Good Book as allegories or parables, stories for spiritual enlightenment. The earth wasn't literally created in 6 days. There was no snake tempting Eve in the garden. Even the virgin birth might be metaphorical, open to interpretation.

I know a conservative Creationist, on the other hand, that believes in a literal bible. And because of carbon dating & other scientific advances, these creationists now incorporate weird data into their Book of Genesis. --- The earth was created in a literal 6 days (the seventh being a day of "rest"). The Grand Canyon was created not by erosion, by millions of years of the flow of the Colorado River... but it was created in a single day. However, Adam & Eve co-existed peacefully in the Garden of Eden with dinosaurs, who roamed freely with the duo and their decendants. Sadly, these dinosaurs were "too big" to fit onto Noah's Ark, and therefore perished in the Flood.

I remember taking a trip to the Grand Canyon and finding a christian gift shop, with christian gifts and a book that explained how the Canyon was formed by god in a single day. Funding for this shop came from taxpayer dollars, an example of GW Bush's "faith-based initiatives".

Evangelical conservatives are an extreme version of this "inflexible thinking, resistance to change" that epitomizes conservative thought processes.

 

[marleyisalegend]

Thank you. I hope that you keep the judging to an individual level like you said you do. It is only right to judge someone on their own merit...

Like I said, the story isn't completely one-sided, I could write pages of rants about so-called liberals.

 

[D_Chocho_Lippz]

Believe me, you wouldn't want that. :wink:

Even more foreign: how about we just don't do any studies every again?!?!?

Why not?

Do you like to hide behind stereotypes or something?

Why so defensive, PK? Does this post offend you? Do the results of the study offend you? Maybe you aren't as moderate as you claim.

MLK - "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

I want to judge people by the content of their individual character like MLK, how about you?

 

[D_Chocho_Lippz]

Like I said, the story isn't completely one-sided, I could write pages of rants about so-called liberals.

Point is, individuals are to blame for everything. As you spoke about with the housing industry deal... liberals aren't the only ones that made it bad. Republicans are to blame too. Some sided with the democrats, others fought it, and others said nothing.

Tax dollars for Shameeka, same thing...

We can't just put blame on one group or the other. That is when we start playing games with politics instead of holding individuals responsible for their own actions.

 

[D_Chocho_Lippz]

There IS a god. The bible is the inerrant word of that god.

They refuse to believe in moral ambiguities. The United States is ALWAYS right when at war. The United States is the greatest nation on god's green earth.

NEVER negotiate with the terrorists or "evil" rogue dictators.

I lean Conservative.

I question the existence of a God and I am a Christian!

I question the Bible.

I think most wars America has gotten into, we have been wrong.

I don't think that America is hands-down the best thing ever.

There is a time and a place to negotiate/use forces other than war.

...now what of your stereotype?

 

[D_Chocho_Lippz]

Just outta curiosity....NOTHING to say about the results?

What results? People were asked to hit a button on a computer screen for 15 minutes.

How can we deduce that liberals are so much smarter than conservatives based on this?

 

[D_Tintagel_Demondong]

Two thumbs down.

Stereotypes are for losers...

How in the world am I stereotyping?

stereotype [ster-ee-uh-tahyp, steer-] noun, verb
–noun
Sociology. a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group.

Do you not see how your statement, "Stereotypes are for losers," is an oxymoron?

You have the choice to categorize and label people as less intelligent based on some silly "research" and you are going to stereotype based on that? I'm not stereotyping you... I'm calling you a name because I believe stereotyping is wrong and if you are going to participate in that stereotype, then you are wrong. If you can prove to me that you are righteous in believing in this stereotype, then I will withdraw my label of you.

Actually, stereotyping, prototyping, datatyping, archityping and many other forms of type casting are necessary in science and mathematics. Saying that "stereotyping is wrong" is exactly my point: conservatives tend to "gloss over" things without wondering about their fundamental cause. They tend to see things as an absolute--either right or wrong. I am not asking you to "withdraw my label of [me]", since I do stereotype, but thanks for the good intentions. I am a proud Objectivist who uses folksonomy on a daily basis

I am tired of this bullshit stereotyping that goes on in the political forum here. Because I am a conservative I am automatically less intelligent than you?

Is that what you are endorsing here rec3000?

Well, as Marley pointed out, I am saying that there is a "trend". It seems that the more conservative somebody is--on this site or on the street--the less able they are to adapt, solve problems, or comprimise.

Solve problems? People were pushing a button... that was the test here, right?

You can trivialize it all you want, but there are many other studies that are comparable. Besides, when was the last time you heard of a conservative genius? Name one... just one.

I'd even settle for an example of a self-actualized conservative.

 

[earllogjam]

No, I wouldn't say liberals are smarter per se. But I will say that they are more open and receptive to new ideas and change which make them much more interesting to invite to dinner parties.

It's also important to note that someone can have very liberal views and practices in one area of their life yet be very conservative in others.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Because I am a conservative I am automatically less intelligent than you?
Is that what you are endorsing here rec3000?

Rec was not saying any such thing.
He's talking about a probably very slight difference in intelligence between two groups.
This does not describe every member in those groups.
Do you think he believes that a properly constructed ordering of humans by intellectual level would show several billion conservatives at the bottom, and then a sudden shift to intellectually sunlit liberals, all of whom are brighter than any of their beleaguered conservative brethren at the bottom?
He would have to believe something so foolish to believe that he, a presumptive liberal, would automatically be more intelligent that you, a self-described conservative.

 

[invisibleman]

rec3000: "The study suggests that conservatives have an inflexible way of thinking, a resistance to change, and a lesser ability to cope with change."

-------------

I have running feuds with a couple conservative friends.

Conservatives in general - and social cons in particular - believe in absolutes: right and wrong, black and white, there is no gray area... or if there is, it's immoral.

There IS a god. The bible is the inerrant word of that god.

They refuse to believe in moral ambiguities. The United States is ALWAYS right when at war. The United States is the greatest nation on god's green earth.

NEVER negotiate with the terrorists or "evil" rogue dictators.


This inflexibility is really jarring when you talk to consevative evangelicals. Your run-of-the-mill religious liberal believes in god, a general god, but is flexible enough to think of the stories presented in the Good Book as allegories or parables, stories for spiritual enlightenment. The earth wasn't literally created in 6 days. There was no snake tempting Eve in the garden. Even the virgin birth might be metaphorical, open to interpretation.

I know a conservative Creationist, on the other hand, that believes in a literal bible. And because of carbon dating & other scientific advances, these creationists now incorporate weird data into their Book of Genesis. --- The earth was created in a literal 6 days (the seventh being a day of "rest"). The Grand Canyon was created not by erosion, by millions of years of the flow of the Colorado River... but it was created in a single day. However, Adam & Eve co-existed peacefully in the Garden of Eden with dinosaurs, who roamed freely with the duo and their decendants. Sadly, these dinosaurs were "too big" to fit onto Noah's Ark, and therefore perished in the Flood.

I remember taking a trip to the Grand Canyon and finding a christian gift shop, with christian gifts and a book that explained how the Canyon was formed by god in a single day. Funding for this shop came from taxpayer dollars, an example of GW Bush's "faith-based initiatives".

Evangelical conservatives are an extreme version of this "inflexible thinking, resistance to change" that epitomizes conservative thought processes.

:smile: WillTom :smile:

 

[MalakingTiti]

I don't think liberals are inherently smarter than conservatives, however, I think there is something to be said about the open minded nature of liberal thinkers that allows for the induction, and subsequent consideration of a wider range of information. I don't suggest that in the final analysis, the conclusions reached by liberals are any more insightful or wise. I consider myself a liberal. I went to an Ivy League school, and in my experience some of the people who would be considered by most to be of extraordinary intellect, can also suffer from the most severe case of tunnel vision, brought on by the arrogance that such a prestigious, and often liberal leaning education can sometimes unintentionally produce.

Put another way, I believe intelligence can be found in a wide range of places. I can honestly say that I have learned just as much (albeit different yet equally as valuable information) from the elderly people with little more that a Jr High education as I have from any professor.

 

[D_Tintagel_Demondong]

And the rebuttal article.... (link)

4. Maladaptiveness. The scientific core of the study is a hypothesized brain function called "conflict monitoring." The reason why liberals scored better than conservatives, the authors argued, is that the brain area responsible for this function was, by electrical measurement, more active in them than in conservatives.

Ahhh. Life must be so easy for conservatives. Of course you don't need to think when you already know the answer to everything. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that there is less active brain activity in the anterior cortex (the reasoning part)) of the brain.

Does God exist?
Conservative reply: "Yes."
Liberal reply: "I'm a Christian and I've read the bible and talked to experts, and came to the conclusion that God exists because I see enough proof to justify His existence."

Should abortion be illegal?
Conservative reply: "Yes."
Liberal reply: "I have thought about this from several perspectives, including religious, ethical, scientific, historic and even emotional platforms. I have come to the conclusion that abortion should be illegal after making my own, independent judgment."

Should pot be illegal?
Conservative reply: "Yes."
Liberal reply: "I have tried pot and I had no harmful effects. I have found out for myself that it is not harmful, regardless of what many people around me claim. I think that, from my own experience, pot should be legal."

I wonder what life would be like to not have to think. It must be a very peaceful world.

 

[HazelGod]

I wonder what life would be like to not have to think. It must be a very peaceful world.

It would be, were it not for all those damned liberals, with their thinking, and their learning, and their reasoning, and their bothering to actually study things so they have an idea what the fuck they're talking about when they speak.

 

[D_dollar a week]

Aw, rec... don't tell me you didn't know this sort of post would get the exact kind of reaction Peaceful-Kancer is displaying.

And here I thought you were a liberal...

 

[D_Chocho_Lippz]

Ahhh. Life must be so easy for conservatives. Of course you don't need to think when you already know the answer to everything. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that there is less active brain activity in the anterior cortex (the reasoning part)) of the brain.

Does God exist?
Conservative reply: "Yes."
Liberal reply: "I'm a Christian and I've read the bible and talked to experts, and came to the conclusion that God exists because I see enough proof to justify His existence."

Should abortion be illegal?
Conservative reply: "Yes."
Liberal reply: "I have thought about this from several perspectives, including religious, ethical, scientific, historic and even emotional platforms. I have come to the conclusion that abortion should be illegal after making my own, independent judgment."

Should pot be illegal?
Conservative reply: "Yes."
Liberal reply: "I have tried pot and I had no harmful effects. I have found out for myself that it is not harmful, regardless of what many people around me claim. I think that, from my own experience, pot should be legal."

I wonder what life would be like to not have to think. It must be a very peaceful world.

Perfect example. I think I've answered all of those questions exactly like you said that a Liberal would... but I'm still conservative leaning.

Now what?

 

[D_Chocho_Lippz]

Do you not see how your statement, "Stereotypes are for losers," is an oxymoron?

Nope, still don't see it. All I see is me calling you a name. If you want to believe in, participate in, and defend stereotypes... then you are wrong.

Like I said before, I want you to judge my on my own merit. Why is that so hard?

Please explain...

Rec was not saying any such thing.
He's talking about a probably very slight difference in intelligence between two groups.
This does not describe every member in those groups.
Do you think he believes that a properly constructed ordering of humans by intellectual level would show several billion conservatives at the bottom, and then a sudden shift to intellectually sunlit liberals, all of whom are brighter than any of their beleaguered conservative brethren at the bottom?
He would have to believe something so foolish to believe that he, a presumptive liberal, would automatically be more intelligent that you, a self-described conservative.

Then why is he not backing away from his stereotype?

All I'm asking is that he judge me (and everyone) by my (their) own personal merit. But it seems that since I say that I "lean conservative" that I automatically loose points. Why is it OK to put up some "study" saying that conservatives are stupider than liberals?

If that is the case, I guess it is OK, to look at IQ tests and deduce that blacks are stupid because they score the lowest? (here).

I think not...

No, I wouldn't say liberals are smarter per se. But I will say that they are more open and receptive to new ideas and change which make them much more interesting to invite to dinner parties.

It's also important to note that someone can have very liberal views and practices in one area of their life yet be very conservative in others.

Bingo. Thank you. Key point is bolded.

I don't think liberals are inherently smarter than conservatives, however, I think there is something to be said about the open minded nature of liberal thinkers that allows for the induction, and subsequent consideration of a wider range of information. I don't suggest that in the final analysis, the conclusions reached by liberals are any more insightful or wise. I consider myself a liberal. I went to an Ivy League school, and in my experience some of the people who would be considered by most to be of extraordinary intellect, can also suffer from the most severe case of tunnel vision, brought on by the arrogance that such a prestigious, and often liberal leaning education can sometimes unintentionally produce.

Put another way, I believe intelligence can be found in a wide range of places. I can honestly say that I have learned just as much (albeit different yet equally as valuable information) from the elderly people with little more that a Jr High education as I have from any professor.

Again, bingo. Key point is bolded.

 

[Qua]

I wonder what life would be like to not have to think. It must be a very peaceful world.

You commit the grave assumption that conservatives don't even consider new ideas. Sure plenty don't. But plenty of liberals buy the reform lines without due diligence--even ignoring sound economic reasoning and data to back it up.

Unfortunately this isn't as black or white as you seem to think (oh the irony).

If you consider new ideas but normally trend towards the norm in your decisions you are still conservative. That doesn't mean you are closed-minded or stupid. It means your opinions have a trend towards the status quo, even after consideraton. You jump to the conclusion that conservative means refusal to consider new ideas. Not so. That is simple closed-mindedness. And granted, it is not a "liberal" trait, so closed minded people will tend to be conservative.

You define liberal as the openness to new ideas. As I've just pointed out, that means conservatives can be very liberal. So can "liberals."

However, what you really seem to mean by liberal is the acceptance of new ideas. A person is a "liberal" if they believe new ideas are right. With (or without) due diligence, the trend is toward acceptance.

How do either indicate a lack of intelligence? Both sides leave room for absolute sheep-like illiberalness, an unquestioning belief in either maintaining or reverting the status quo or implementing new ideas ad nauseum.

You're committing the common fallacy of mistaking "left wing" for liberal. And making the asinine assumption that the right lacks the critical thinking skills of left wingers.

 

[Pitbull]

Conservatives in general - and social cons in particular - believe in absolutes: right and wrong, black and white, there is no gray area... or if there is, it's immoral.

I find that many liberals in general only have a gray area.
They cannot accept that there might actually be an absolute right and therefore an absolute wrong.
Or perhaps a much larger gray area...

 

[Meniscus]

Has anyone seen the movie, The Last Supper?

YouTube - The Last Supper--movie trailer

The link below contains spoilers.

The Last Supper (1995 film - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

[Sklar]

Sigh...

All this seems to me is that someone, somewhere came up with an idea and went out to try and prove it.

just like with any other type of hypothesis, there are two sides to every coin.

What we have here are both of those sides vying against each other.

Which side is right? Which side is wrong?

Neither is in either case.

How can half a coin be wrong?

Sklar

P.S. How does this study really have an impact on anyones life?

Answer: it doesn't. Can we move on now, please?