Low-Effort Thought Promotes Political Conservatism

reply to post by nomnom

and don't tell me how I'm talking apples and oranges. I see the distinction. Do you see the similarities?

Similarities between what? Between conservatives and liberals?

No, I don’t, except for the obvious biological similarities (they’re both human…kind of).

reply to post by seabag


I was referring to the interchanging of different metaphor's to explain the dynamics involving relationships in general.

They're definitely different breeds. No doubt about it.

reply to post by Ghost375

Ok so you want your cake and you want to eat it too.

What about TOO MUCH liberalism?

How is that bad? Give me some research studies.

If you don't find any, it's not because liberalism has no dark side.

Would like to hear from somebody about that.

But anyway, I understand the argument. Conservative principles are based on old thoughts. You don't need to have effortful thought when you're simply regurgitating traditional thoughts. It's just like reading the bible as opposed to writing your own revision. Memorizing is NOT effortful thinking. If all humans did was regurgitate then there'd be no innovation. There'd be nothing new in the world.

HOWEVER, sometimes old thoughts work. Sometimes we need to be good at memorizing and regurgitating. This coin has a flip-side and it's foolish to think liberalism has no dark side.

Here's another link about this liberal/conservative divide:
www.cosmosmagazine.com - Brains of liberals and conservatives differ...

............
A group of 43 right-handed subjects were asked to perform a series of computer tests designed to evaluate their unrehearsed response to cues urging them to break a well-established routine.

“People often drive home from work on the same route, day after day, such that it becomes habitual and doesn’t involve much thinking,” Amodio explained by way of comparison. “But occasionally there is road work, or perhaps an animal crosses the road, and you need to break out of your habitual response in order to deal with this new information.”

Using electroencephalographs, which measure neuronal impulses, the researchers examined activity in a part of the brain – the anterior cingulate cortex – that is strongly linked with the self-regulatory process of conflict monitoring.

The match-up was unmistakable: respondents who had described themselves as liberals or left-wing showed “significantly greater conflict-related neural activity” when the hypothetical situation called for an unscheduled break in routine. Conservatives or right-wingers, however, were less flexible, refusing to deviate from old habits “despite signals that this … should be changed.”
.........

Note that my intent is not to prove that liberals are BETTER than conservatives. But I think there's a gulf right now in the research. We need to be more critical about this and not assume things.

There's a reason this divide exists, I believe. And it's not because conservatives are deficient.

reply to post by nomnom

I was referring to the interchanging of different metaphor's to explain the dynamics involving relationships in general.

They're definitely different breeds. No doubt about it.

Certainly! There are many theories about how things should work but most people agree that there has to be some ‘give and take’ to get things done. You don’t achieve ‘give and take’ when you start the discussion by belittling an entire ideology from the start.

And I would expect these attacks if conservatives where actually in power. Conservatives have NEVER been in power in this country. Like I said, liberals are scared because, in the arena of ideas, conservative ideas win. Most people can only elude logic for so long before it creeps up and slaps them in the face.

This whole thread topic looks especially tawdry when confronted with the fact the media is trying to force the viewpoint the current right foot jackbooted NEOCON approach as conservative...and then offers left foot jackbooted communism as the "thinking," way to prosperity.

ETA: And most dimwits go for it...

This thread makes me tired. So does that mean I'm having low-effort thought?

I wonder if liberals will start using this as justification to ignore conservatives. If you're having an argument with a conservative just tell em they're subhuman and not able to understand.

We don't need a government anymore. The liberals will rule forever.

That's black/white thinking. There's no ONE solution.

We need conservatives just as much as we need liberals. This is what I believe. I believe our universe is complex. Anytime you narrow your solutions too much, you set yourself up for extinction. This is what people before have called the shotgun approach to living. Load up your "shotgun" with everything imaginable and pull the trigger and figure out what sticks, but always keep the shotgun handy because the universe is always trying to trick you by pulling the rug from under you.

Thanks all. I appreciate all the - um - opinions.

Originally posted by Deetermined
reply to post by HopSkipJump

 

What area of the world might that be?

The Bible Belt. They draw their "checks", then go to church three times a week and talk about how the people giving them the checks will spend eternity in hell

Originally posted by Xtrozero

Originally posted by HopSkipJump

95% of the ones I have come into contact with ARE Republicans. That's one of the things that disgust me the most. They rant and rave about "them evil librals" and spew racial hatred toward Obama for no reason other than him being half black (there are reasons to slam the guy, but that's not one of them). Then they run to "the walmart" to spend their foodstamps...or sell them to their neighbor for half price so they can buy their drugs.

Sorry, but in this area of the world, the welfare pillheads are very, very much Republican and they disgust me to no end.

Really?

They voted for him...Big cities are were the dense populations of these types of people are and in EVERY case those big cities went the liberal vote. Obama didn't win a single state outside of the one or two larger cities. Even in his home state he took basically the city only, and that is the typical result for all the states he won. So I guess you are suggesting all these undesirables live outside the city then?



Obama Win

edit on 11-3-2013 by Xtrozero because: (no reason given)

A lot of them do, yes. Small towns, small cities, rural areas all across the nation. No venue is left untarnished.

And remember, he didn't win the large cities unanimously nor are large cities made up of one and only one political party just as the smaller areas aren't.

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by nomnom

 

I think it's safe to say that none of our cherished leaders of either major party have a grasp on how to effectively govern society with the tools they have available, considering the systemic corruption which is all pervading in 2013.

While I totally agree with that statement, I think it’s important to point out that there is no conservative party. The OP mentioned “conservatives” not “GOP” or “republicans” and there is a distinct difference. Anyone who thinks the GOP is a bunch of conservatives needs to lay off the MSM kool-aid. If the GOP were conservatives, you wouldn’t even know who Mitt Romney or John McCain are.

This OP wasn't an attack on a party...it was an attack on the conservative ideology which, as I stated, has no party of its own. Conservatives are what really scares liberals because deep down they know our ideas win. They don't fear the GOP because the GOP's ideas aren't much different than the Democrat party's ideas.

Yet you fail to see that "liberal" and "Democrat" aren't the same thing. Practice what you preach.

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by nomnom

 

and don't tell me how I'm talking apples and oranges. I see the distinction. Do you see the similarities?

Similarities between what? Between conservatives and liberals?

No, I don’t, except for the obvious biological similarities (they’re both human…kind of).

it's ok, conservatives may evolve to that point eventually

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by nomnom

 

I was referring to the interchanging of different metaphor's to explain the dynamics involving relationships in general.

They're definitely different breeds. No doubt about it.

Certainly! There are many theories about how things should work but most people agree that there has to be some ‘give and take’ to get things done. You don’t achieve ‘give and take’ when you start the discussion by belittling an entire ideology from the start.

Yet belittling the opposing ideology is exactly what you have done over and over and over. Seriously, clean your own stoop before you worry about others.

Originally posted by jonnywhite

I wonder if liberals will start using this as justification to ignore conservatives.

"Start using"? I do that for a long time already. I KNOW republicans don't think things through quite well. Nothing new here, really

reply to post by HopSkipJump

Yet you fail to see that "liberal" and "Democrat" aren't the same thing. Practice what you preach.

There isn't enough difference to distinguish between a democrat and a liberal as all democrats tend to favor liberal ideals. The same cannot be said about all republicans favoring conservative ideals because that certainly isn't the case.

As far as I’m concerned, there is little to no difference between a republican, democrat or liberal. They are all part of the same machine dragging the country down with big government spending and a lack of conservative policy.

reply to post by HopSkipJump

Yet belittling the opposing ideology is exactly what you have done over and over and over. Seriously, clean your own stoop before you worry about others.

It’s called returning fire. You can’t turn on a single radio/TV channel without hearing liberal, left-wing bias and conservative bashing.

I am the counter to that rhetoric…at least on ATS.

Instead of taking more jabs at me, why not debate me on the issues? I’m just a dumb conservative with “low-effort thought” so you should be able to swiftly crush my arguments, right?

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by HopSkipJump

 

Yet belittling the opposing ideology is exactly what you have done over and over and over. Seriously, clean your own stoop before you worry about others.

It’s called returning fire. You can’t turn on a single radio/TV channel without hearing liberal, left-wing bias and conservative bashing.

I am the counter to that rhetoric…at least on ATS.

Instead of taking more jabs at me, why not debate me on the issues? I’m just a dumb conservative with “low-effort thought” so you should be able to swiftly crush my arguments, right?

This isn't a war, it's a discussion. And give examples when you make sweeping statements about "a single radio/TV channel without hearing liberal...." that's an out and out fabrication (look it up). I know of many liberal web-sites, two sort of liberal TV stations (NPR & MSNBC neither very liberal - I'd call middle of the road and corporately funded) and one kinda liberal and one true liberal radio stations. But that next to the conservative, tea -party sound-bite machine and count. But then...... (yes mama).

reply to post by FyreByrd

This isn't a war, it's a discussion.

It’s an ideological war…and it goes on every day whether you realize it or not. Based on your next statement I’m about to quote, I’d say you don’t realize it.

And give examples when you make sweeping statements about "a single radio/TV channel without hearing liberal...." that's an out and out fabrication (look it up). I know of many liberal web-sites, two sort of liberal TV stations (NPR & MSNBC neither very liberal - I'd call middle of the road and corporately funded) and one kinda liberal and one true liberal radio stations. But that next to the conservative, tea -party sound-bite machine and count. But then...... (yes mama).

You want example of MSM liberalism????

Time to wake up, bro!