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This Machine Can Tell Whether You're Liberal or Conservative
Mother Jones/Drudge ^ | 4 Apr 2014 | Chris Mooney

Posted on 04/05/2014 7:23:32 AM PDT by shove_it

Thomas Jefferson was a smart dude. And in one of his letters to John Adams, dated June 27, 1813, Jefferson made an observation about the nature of politics that science is only now, two centuries later, beginning to confirm. "The same political parties which now agitate the United States, have existed through all time," wrote Jefferson. "The terms of Whig and Tory belong to natural, as well as to civil history," he later added. "They denote the temper and constitution of mind of different individuals."

[...]

It all adds up, according to Hibbing, to what he calls a "negativity bias" on the right. Conservatives, Hibbing's research suggests, go through the world more attentive to negative, threatening, and disgusting stimuli—and then they adopt tough, defensive, and aversive ideologies to match that perceived reality....

(Excerpt) Read more at motherjones.com ...


TOPICS: Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatives; liberals; negativitybias
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This may be satire but I'm pretty sure it's another cockamamy liberal study paid for by us.
1 posted on 04/05/2014 7:23:32 AM PDT by shove_it
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To: shove_it

Since I’m adverse to the negative, threatening, and disgusting Obama, I must be a conservative.


2 posted on 04/05/2014 7:31:07 AM PDT by meatloaf (Impeach Obama. That's my New Year's resolution.)
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To: shove_it

Basically, if you allow someone to put that contraption on your head, then you are a liberal..


3 posted on 04/05/2014 7:33:07 AM PDT by ArtDodger
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To: shove_it

The difference is between rationality and emotionalism. The “left” are a bunch of dewy-eyed shallow adolescents.


4 posted on 04/05/2014 7:34:01 AM PDT by Ray76 (Take over the GOP? You still beg! Fight for what's right. Forget them.)
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To: shove_it

I read this on Mother Jones yesterday, plus comments.

Best comment was liberals must have a mental illness. Explains things the best (or have a demon to be more explicit).


5 posted on 04/05/2014 7:34:53 AM PDT by Scrambler Bob (You can count my felonies by looking at my FR replies.)
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To: shove_it
Conservatives understand the reality of human nature and feel empathy for the plight of mankind.

Liberals think everything will naturally work out well if the right people are in charge (them), and don't much care for individual cases where their good intentions don't pan out.

6 posted on 04/05/2014 7:40:22 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: shove_it

Conservatives have a functioning sense of disgust and negative response. Liberals have to fake it because they don’t have a properly functioning brain. It’s why they are hypocrites about near everything. Republican is racially insensitive? It outrages and disgusts them. Liberal makes a joke about Indians running 7-11s and they laugh. A black mod beats a white man nearly to death? Ehh... these things happen. A hispanic man shoots a black teen who was beating him to death? Outrage!

If anything, the headline should be, “conservatives have a proper functioning brain while liberals have suppressed mental function.”


7 posted on 04/05/2014 7:46:10 AM PDT by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: ArtDodger

Yup. That’s why I included the pic in the excerpt ... ;o)


8 posted on 04/05/2014 7:48:08 AM PDT by shove_it (my real nickname is Otter)
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To: shove_it

In developmental psychology it’s called “individuation.”

Put bluntly, conservatives are individuated, liberals are not.

And Leftists are reptiles.


9 posted on 04/05/2014 7:51:34 AM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: shove_it

This is an old Andy Rooney piece:

A lot of you probably aren’t sure whether you’re Republicans or Democrats. We have an election coming up shortly, and you ought to find out what you are. I thought it might help if I explained the difference between Republicans and Democrats.

Democrats believe the trouble started with Herbert Hoover, and was worse during the Presidency of Richard Nixon.
Republicans believe the trouble started with FDR, and is worse than ever right now.

Democrats leave the dishes in the drying rack on the sink overnight.
Republicans put the dishes away every night.

Republicans play tennis
Democrats bowl, unless they’re Kennedy Democrats, in which case they play tennis too.

Democrats love television, and watch a lot of it.
Republicans hate television. They watch a lot of it too.

Democrats are baseball fans.
Republicans follow college football.

Democrats buy their food on payday once a week at the supermarket
Republicans go to the grocery store everyday.

Democrats usually write with a pencil.
Republicans use pens.

In the summer, Democrats drink beer.
Republicans drink gin and tonic. In the winter, they drink scotch and soda.
Democrats drink beer.

Republicans think taxes are too high because of the Democrats.
Democrats think taxes are too high because of the Republicans.

Republicans have dinner between seven and eight.
Democrats have supper between five and six.

Democrats drink coffee with cream and sugar, from mugs.
Republicans take theirs black — with cup and saucer.

Democrats don’t seal the envelopes of their Christmas cards, which they sign by hand.
Republicans seal the envelopes of their Christmas cards, which have their names printed on them — unless they’re very rich Republicans, in which case they sign them by hand. If they’re very, very rich, they have someone else sign them.

Democrats believe people are basically good but must be saved from themselves by their government.
Republicans believe people are basically bad but they’ll be ok if they’re left alone.

A lot of Republicans are more like Democrats used to be, and a lot of Democrats are more like Republicans used to be. If you’re still not sure what you are, you’re probably a Democrat.


10 posted on 04/05/2014 7:51:49 AM PDT by null and void (I don't mind getting older, but I hate wearing out!)
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To: shove_it
It all adds up, according to Hibbing, to what he calls a "negativity bias" on the right.

Exactly 180 degrees wrong. It is liberals who constantly see boogy men that an ever growing big daddy government has to protect us from.

11 posted on 04/05/2014 7:53:20 AM PDT by DManA
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To: shove_it

I confess to being puzzled by the photo. She has the run away bride crazy eyes, and a wedding band...


12 posted on 04/05/2014 7:54:13 AM PDT by null and void (I don't mind getting older, but I hate wearing out!)
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To: shove_it

The premise of this article and study runs directly counter to the repeated surveys that show conservatives are much happier, more contented, successful people. Unless, a realistic negativity is required to create such lives.

I do think there may be something to differing levels of emotional maturity, such that people tend to become more conservative with age—and such people probably are more turned off to the ‘gross outs’ that intrigue children and adolescents.


13 posted on 04/05/2014 7:54:15 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: shove_it

Conservative - “Watch out! That lion will eat you!”
Liberal - “But he looks so cuddly!”


14 posted on 04/05/2014 7:56:07 AM PDT by Flick Lives ("I can't believe it's not Fascism!")
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To: null and void
Democrats believe people are basically good but must be saved from themselves by their government.
Republicans believe people are basically bad but they’ll be ok if they’re left alone.

Democrats believe people are basically good but must be fixed by their government.
Republicans believe people are basically bad but cannot be changed and should not be manipulated by their government.

15 posted on 04/05/2014 7:57:31 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: null and void

Rooney of course was speaking of N.E. liberal republicans. That’s all he know. Totally ignorant of the country west of the Hudson.


16 posted on 04/05/2014 7:58:30 AM PDT by DManA
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To: ClearCase_guy

Republicans believe people are basically bad and the WORST of them will rise to grab the levers of power. So we’d better keep these levers as small as possible.


17 posted on 04/05/2014 8:00:17 AM PDT by DManA
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To: shove_it

If you watch a man attempt to better himself, but gets tripped up along the way, and you think, “That sucks”, you are a conservative.

If you are watching your neighbor becoming engaged in a profiting exercise of his natural talents and abilities, and is becoming successful, and you examine yourself, but make no changes, and scream to your neighbor, “What you are doing sucks!!” You are a liberal.


18 posted on 04/05/2014 8:00:59 AM PDT by Terry L Smith
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To: null and void

My first impression of the photo was that this article is satire.


19 posted on 04/05/2014 8:03:44 AM PDT by shove_it (my real nickname is Otter)
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To: null and void
She has the run away bride crazy eyes, and a wedding band...

Eyes + Band = Miserable husband at home in an apron (and nothing else).

20 posted on 04/05/2014 8:05:42 AM PDT by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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