Conservative brains are different from liberal brains

Every six months or so someone trots out a "study" like this (maybe it's the same one) which if appplied to different races, genders, or socio-economic classes would have Liberals frothing with an entirely unambiguous outrage.

All that these studies (and more importantly) their widespread trumpeting by Liberals confirms for me is that desire to feel superior is a fundamental element of the Liberal mind-set.

When I was younger I stayed outside the lines because I was an anarchist, now I stay outside the lines because of palsy.

dlowan wrote:

ossobuco wrote:

Hmmm. I can't tell from a quick read if that is just habit or actual brain structure change/differences.

Leaving aside this particular article, which has been published here before, habit has an effect on brain structure.

Ok, I can see that, as a secondary (however early) situation. <Surmizing>

This interests me personally (aside from mild interest in the brain and its workings); I started out educated in certain circumscribed ways, and moved outward, if not upward, from those strictures, sort of a lifetime tap tap tapping. My brain is probably all purple with gold dots.

hardening of the categories.

JLNobody wrote:

Quote:

hardening of the categories.

Lovely line, JL.

Finn suggests that we liberal types happily latch on to such a notion as this study apparently concludes because it helps us feel superior. Possibly. But I don't feel that I need help in the matter.

And after all, it isn't as if that 'superiority thing' is the sole province of folks on the liberal side. Though perhaps finn will show me wrong here by confessing his conservativism's inferiority and junior status.

This brings me to the first point on which the conservative and the liberal dispositions differ radically. As has often been acknowledged by conservative writers, one of the fundamental traits of the conservative attitude is a fear of change, a timid distrust of the new as such,[5] while the liberal position is based on courage and confidence, on a preparedness to let change run its course even if we cannot predict where it will lead. There would not be much to object to if the conservatives merely disliked too rapid change in institutions and public policy; here the case for caution and slow process is indeed strong. But the conservatives are inclined to use the powers of government to prevent change or to limit its rate to whatever appeals to the more timid mind. In looking forward, they lack the faith in the spontaneous forces of adjustment which makes the liberal accept changes without apprehension, even though he does not know how the necessary adaptations will be brought about.