Political views 'hard-wired' into your brain

Political views 'hard-wired' into your brain

www.telegraph.co.uk

Scientists have found that people with conservative views have brains with larger amygdalas, almond shaped areas in the centre of the brain often associated with anxiety and emotions.

On the otherhand, they have a smaller anterior cingulate, an area at the front of the brain associated with courage and looking on the bright side of life.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well.. politics aside... this still confounds me, as before I was 30 I feared everything... I was one fearful and worry some son of a gun... however, given some harrowing experiences I eventually grew into someone who is rather fearless comparatively speaking... I just thought that was just growing up.

I'd like to see a study done as a person grows to see if these change as life experiences occur, much as brains of abused children are often stunted. Perhaps it's a more flexible thing altogether and shapes according to one's experiences. Though we may each have different starting points.

www.telegraph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm pretty sure the way you are raised has a little to do with it too. If you're parents raise you as a republican, you're probably going to be republican. And viceversa with democrats.
There seems to be a 50/50 split between the nature/nurture issue in everything I've encountered getting a Psychology degree.

For my take on it, the brain is dynamic similar to a muscle. The more you focus on fear or have it forced upon you, the larger that area grows. Same with the reasoning areas and other brain functions. The brain does start of as just once cell, depending where the energy goes reinforces different sections. Genetics and environment are also important. As you get older it does get harder to change after many years of reinforcement, but you still can teach an old dog new tricks.

reply to post by kwakakev


Very well said... I believe you are right.

Thank you for putting it so well..



That's the biggest flaw with this study... they didn't test through periods of their life. to see how it changed.. so they say it's a "gene"

It's not... it's like you said... the environment....

It's the environment and especially what emotional trauma you had as a child and how you chose to deal with it back then... I highly doubt it has anything to do with gene's or else it would be either impossible or highly unlikely for a conservative to become progressive and vice versa for example...

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Weird story.. I don't really think much of it.. people's fears and so on are usually based in their life history of experiences, unless it's a natural phobia which is usually exclusive.

Also it's ironic that conservatives are supposed to be more of the cowardly type, yet the vast majority of US soldiers are from deep conservative regions of the US and often hold Conservative views.

I'd say ideologies are more likely based on type of education (I went to catholic school, I suppose that makes me a tad more conservative by nature, as were most of my class mates) and parental upbringing. If you bring a child up, regardless of how big a portion of their brain is, and tell them that Socialism is good, Fascism is awesome, Jesus saves only republicans etc etc... the child will either parrot the belief or rebel against it completely.