This is so interesting! It brought back a memory from my childhood which I had completely forgotten about. Maybe I was 5 years old. I’ve always been very curious and want to find out about things. I don’t know what gave me the idea, but with my eyes closed I turned on a flashlight directed at my eyes. I could see what I thought were peas and carrots. Today I realized I saw the rods and cones in my eyes!
Just this morning, I read this:
Many Differences between Liberals and Conservatives May Boil Down to One Belief - Scientific American:
We find instead that the main difference between the left and right is the belief that the world is inherently hierarchical.
”Psychologists have long suspected that a handful of fundamental differences in worldviews might underlie the conservative-liberal rift. Forty years of research has shown that, on average, conservatives see the world as a more dangerous place than liberals. This one core belief seemed to help explain many policy disagreements, such as conservative support of gun ownership, border enforcement and increased spending on police and the military—all of which, one can argue, aim to protect people from a threatening world.
But new research by psychologist Nick Kerry and me at the University of Pennsylvania contradicts that long-standing theory. We find instead that the main difference between the left and right is the belief that the world is inherently hierarchical. Conservatives, our work shows, tend to have higher belief than liberals in a hierarchical world, which is essentially the view that the universe is a place where the lines between categories or concepts matter. A clearer understanding of that difference could help society better bridge political divides.”
The long-standing theory never seemed accurate, so I'm glad to see it discarded.
That said, the new theory also seems flawed. By definition, the political right towards Christian theology, so it's equally likely that the belief in a hierarchy is a byproduct vs a driver of world views.
I see the first theory in one of my family members. He is conservative, although he refers to himself as libertarian and the way he moves in the world is very much rooted in the idea that the world is not safe...specifically not safe from "bad" (as undefined as that is) people. It's particularly interesting as he grew up comfortably in suburban NJ. He's a black belt in whatever. He is former military. He is well educated. And his children drew pictures of daddy protecting them from the amorphous "bad" man. I suppose, that's how the mindset perpetuates.
And interestingly, the new research also applies.
It really is fascinating. And we have to figure how to bridge that divide.
I wish that we would all remember that we are not perfect, or rather flawed. It would truly make the world a better place, maybe open some minds. Ahh, don’t wake me. I’m dreaming.
Self-Darwin. Snort.
I knew it 😀 Patience always pays with you 😎
Ps: LOL‘ed some more:
“Or we could walk off a cliff or fall in a river or otherwise self-Darwin.” 🤣🤣🤣
“Since people who have fallen off a cliff in the dark tend to have few children thereafter..” 😆
Bingo! We have a winner: "And worse, those flaws are being exploited."
This is so interesting! It brought back a memory from my childhood which I had completely forgotten about. Maybe I was 5 years old. I’ve always been very curious and want to find out about things. I don’t know what gave me the idea, but with my eyes closed I turned on a flashlight directed at my eyes. I could see what I thought were peas and carrots. Today I realized I saw the rods and cones in my eyes!
Just this morning, I read this:
Many Differences between Liberals and Conservatives May Boil Down to One Belief - Scientific American:
We find instead that the main difference between the left and right is the belief that the world is inherently hierarchical.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/many-differences-between-liberals-and-conservatives-may-boil-down-to-one-belief/
”Psychologists have long suspected that a handful of fundamental differences in worldviews might underlie the conservative-liberal rift. Forty years of research has shown that, on average, conservatives see the world as a more dangerous place than liberals. This one core belief seemed to help explain many policy disagreements, such as conservative support of gun ownership, border enforcement and increased spending on police and the military—all of which, one can argue, aim to protect people from a threatening world.
But new research by psychologist Nick Kerry and me at the University of Pennsylvania contradicts that long-standing theory. We find instead that the main difference between the left and right is the belief that the world is inherently hierarchical. Conservatives, our work shows, tend to have higher belief than liberals in a hierarchical world, which is essentially the view that the universe is a place where the lines between categories or concepts matter. A clearer understanding of that difference could help society better bridge political divides.”
The long-standing theory never seemed accurate, so I'm glad to see it discarded.
That said, the new theory also seems flawed. By definition, the political right towards Christian theology, so it's equally likely that the belief in a hierarchy is a byproduct vs a driver of world views.
I see the first theory in one of my family members. He is conservative, although he refers to himself as libertarian and the way he moves in the world is very much rooted in the idea that the world is not safe...specifically not safe from "bad" (as undefined as that is) people. It's particularly interesting as he grew up comfortably in suburban NJ. He's a black belt in whatever. He is former military. He is well educated. And his children drew pictures of daddy protecting them from the amorphous "bad" man. I suppose, that's how the mindset perpetuates.
And interestingly, the new research also applies.
It really is fascinating. And we have to figure how to bridge that divide.
I wish that we would all remember that we are not perfect, or rather flawed. It would truly make the world a better place, maybe open some minds. Ahh, don’t wake me. I’m dreaming.