Are Liberals REALLY More Intelligent Than Conservatives?

reply to post by freethinker123

I'm surprised you didn't delete the part where I said I judge people 'according to individual merits'. Pretty poor effort at quoting out of context where its there for all to see.

What did I leave out that you’d like me to respond to, sir? I will gladly respond.

And don't confuse your personality traits with human nature - as if you don't have control over them. You choose to make sweeping generalisations about people you disagree with, simply because they don't share your opinion. That is not a fair way to go about things.

It’s human nature to group people!

Basic perceptual/ behavioral patterns are hardwired into the brain; based on those that offered the greatest chance of survival throughout the evolution of life, then the evolution of primates, and then our evolution.

Steoreotyping and prejudicing offer a simple energy-efficient form of behavior, especially in challenging tribal situations. If a bunch of people are green, while some are purple, and there is limited food, the people must form groups, stereotype outsiders, and most efficiently fight over limited resources.

Of course, in a world where resources could be plentiful for all, stereotyping and prejudicing often lead to unnecessary problems, and cause unneccessary negative elements.

link

I agree with you that there should be more parties represented in both Houses, although if they are just variations of liberal and conservative mainstream thinking it might not change much.

I view it like a full circle with many variations. For lack of a better example, this pic is as close a representation as I can find at the moment.

reply to post by seabag



My thoughts are that "intelligence", strictly referring to the IQ is really not that much of a factor in determining which political party you favor, if any. Obviously parties have both the intelligent and the unintelligent; the thin and the obese; the black the white.

It's a matter of life's circumstances, how you were raised, how you were educated, and even moreso the choice is often based on emotion. Emotions play a huge role. We see here all the passion involved in one's thinking and convictions, and those passions clearly come from emotions. We "feel" what's right, and we combine that with our best judgment based on history, experience, and self interest as well, all of which fuel our emotions..........a significant factor in how we vote.

Originally posted by seabag
However, if intelligence is truly a measure of an individual’s “ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, to overcome obstacles by taking thought then the answer is a resounding NO…It is conservatives who are more intelligent.

I bet you can't even understand why a liberal would rather be capitalized by the whole population then by an individual or a corporation.

I bet you can't even grasp the idea that working towards global happiness matters more then working towards personal or immediate surroundings happiness.

I bet you find it ok to spoil food if no one as the money to pay for it.

I bet you find it wrong to kill a pack of cells in an uterus but wouldn't pay a penny for that unwanted child.

I bet you think that love is just a physical reaction to hormones and that homosexuals are just wrong and misguided.

I mean, you could go on and on about the "ability to understand complex ideas" of the conservatives but sadly don't seem to understand the simplest things in a liberal mind.

You could say how you can to "adapt effectively to the environment" but you won't help no one else with your skills, unless you get paid I guess.

"to engage in various forms of reasoning" ...at least I understand conservatives views. Selfishness and oblivious to other human beings.

"to overcome obstacles by taking thought then the answer" this as nothing to do with sides.

Someone earlier said that conservatives are smarter to act and liberals smarter to think, I think it sounds close to that. I mean, I don't mind.

Less us think and you work with animal instinct, ARRRG
...this to say, we still can cooperate. We can help each other in our difficulties.

Let's just hope conservative won't want to charge money for helping out humanity!
Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

reply to post by User8911


Feel better?

I’m glad my thread inspired you to get all that off your chest!

reply to post by User8911


You're right...again pigeonholing does nothing for your argument or perception:

Conservatives More Liberal Givers

We can go back and forth with these arguments -- the fact that a label somehow determines ones intelligence shows the intelligence of those utilizing that argument. It is only used to reinforce a parties predetermined mindset.

This one is free by the way -- next time I will charge you (sorry couldn't resist).

You must be very bored to attempt this hillarious pot stirring. It has been scientifically proven time and again what we all knew for ages. Conservatives are ruled by fear, are tribal and xenophobic. They refuse to accept progress and support the status quo while remaining blissfully ignorant of what goes behind the veil of propaganda. All this is rooted in FEAR. Cowardly individuals will reject critical thinking in exchange for illusory safety.

Originally posted by Snoopy1978
You must be very bored to attempt this hillarious pot stirring. It has been scientifically proven time and again what we all knew for ages. Conservatives are ruled by fear, are tribal and xenophobic. They refuse to accept progress and support the status quo while remaining blissfully ignorant of what goes behind the veil of propaganda. All this is rooted in FEAR. Cowardly individuals will reject critical thinking in exchange for illusory safety.

Care to share your vast and deep well of knowledge to substantiate your statement -- or are facts only subjective to the argument being made?

Again, broad brush strokes made once again.

Originally posted by ownbestenemy
We can go back and forth with these arguments -- the fact that a label somehow determines ones intelligence shows the intelligence of those utilizing that argument. It is only used to reinforce a parties predetermined mindset.

This one is free by the way -- next time I will charge you (sorry couldn't resist).

Yes you are totally right.

How easily people fall for the "divide and conquer". No side is smarter, it all comes down to the individual.
We should cherish our differences because this is what makes us grow and understand, not be separated by them.

reply to post by Snoopy1978


Conservatives might "refuse to accept progress and support the status quo"
but I do not believe they are " blissfully ignorant of what goes behind the veil of propaganda".

No side is safe from propaganda and manipulation.

Fear is something easily reversible to liberal thinking since helping other will help you out at the same time, giving you security.

I went into college as a somewhat moderate conservative, and I left college more of a moderate/libertarian. The biggest difference is that I began thinking for myself and realized that both sides are filled with complete and total morons. The only hope for the United States are fresh young minds who don't fit themselves into cookie-cutter descriptions of conservatives and liberals. We need more people who not only think for themselves, but aren't afraid to take the best ideas from both sides to reconcile the situation. They must be a strong leader and innovator who can turn a broken system based on politics into one based on critical thinking skills and logic.

We are in trouble when all we can do is yell at "the other side" while blowing through a trillion dollars or more per year. It's high time that we actually worked together to find solutions to these serious issues.

I dunno if anyone's pointed this out yet, but isn't it either liberal academia or the liberal pet project that is the dept. of education, that comes up with the methods to determine someones IQ?

In other words, isn't this argument moot, considering the above, since the findings would have an inherent bias?

reply to post by seabag


Yay....thank you for the thread...I wish people would notice you are talking about liberal vs conservative....not dem vs rep. I believe one is a way of life, a general way of explaining your ideals. The other is a political affiliation, let's not confuse the two. Now all that said, I have to agree there are differences which make it hard to label one group against the other...it is ploy by the left to make conservatives look like cavemen...nothing new..just trying to back it up with pseudo science like the whole global warming scam. if you don't agree with them the name calling begins.
each group contains both the smart and not so smart. The groups of smart people include book smart, IQ smart and common sense smart. I think conservatives tend to be common sense smart while liberals tend to be book smart. the IQ smart are probably pretty evenly split And as far as the racist crap, just a low blow to try to get conservatives to hide who they are...stupid childish games.

So...I will offer myself up as an enigma. Stay at home mom, AS degree, 141 IQ, conservative, non-racist, with common sense....so there! 100% American anti-socialism and proud. Go Giants!

Originally posted by Skyfloating
My impression is that liberals are stronger in thinking and conservatives stronger in doing.

I think Conservatives are stronger at talking and joining together, you guys say the same
phrases on mass which makes your front hard to breach. Liberals can never agree on things.
Also, conservatives bask in over simplicity, while Liberals drown in detail...

You know, I constantly wonder what the definition of a liberal is? I mean, I never realized that my opinions, beliefs and lack there of, could be neatly organized into a subset explanation of who I am. I like comments that "both parties" make on several occasions and support the embodiment of say what Obama stands for. Thus am I a "liberal"? and why the need for classification. Anybody know?

Originally posted by Stormdancer777

Originally posted by Skyfloating
My impression is that liberals are stronger in thinking and conservatives stronger in doing.

Give me an example.

edit on 052929p://bSaturday2012 by Stormdancer777 because: (no reason given)

Current example, while all the liberals in Egypt were tweeting and facebooking the more conservative religious groups had the people on the ground to get things done and take the election.

Originally posted by Snoopy1978
You must be very bored to attempt this hillarious pot stirring. It has been scientifically proven time and again what we all knew for ages. Conservatives are ruled by fear, are tribal and xenophobic. They refuse to accept progress and support the status quo while remaining blissfully ignorant of what goes behind the veil of propaganda. All this is rooted in FEAR. Cowardly individuals will reject critical thinking in exchange for illusory safety.

WOW,

Do you actually know any conservatives?

I could have sworn I have heard the same thing said about liberals.

It is very much about tribalism, Snoopy, on both side, when push comes to shove and it really becomes about survival, I hope Americans come together, I think they will.

After the storm, I would imagine we wont ask one another what political affiliation we embrace.

Originally posted by woodwardjnr

Originally posted by Stormdancer777

Originally posted by Skyfloating
My impression is that liberals are stronger in thinking and conservatives stronger in doing.

Give me an example.

edit on 052929p://bSaturday2012 by Stormdancer777 because: (no reason given)

Current example, while all the liberals in Egypt were tweeting and facebooking the more conservative religious groups had the people on the ground to get things done and take the election.

Thanks, I'll have to think about that,

Originally posted by Lookingsky11
You know, I constantly wonder what the definition of a liberal is? I mean, I never realized that my opinions, beliefs and lack there of, could be neatly organized into a subset explanation of who I am. I like comments that "both parties" make on several occasions and support the embodiment of say what Obama stands for. Thus am I a "liberal"? and why the need for classification. Anybody know?

I don't think people are actually that different, TPTB just want us to think so.

reply to post by Lookingsky11




I agree, I'm just a person who has opinions and ideals and so on.... being labelled a liberal is seen by some as some sort of insult or something... I don't get it?

Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.


Even if I am a liberal.... being Liberal is a very good thing... and by that I mean the actual definition of liberal... not what many have come to call liberals as some sort of attack or insult.

reply to post by blupblup

being labelled a liberal is seen by some as some sort of insult or something

It is all shades of Grey, blub, most of us fall somewhere in the middle, in some ways I am conservative in others liberal,