Study: Liberals Have Less Self-Control Because They Dont believe they have it..

Granite

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And this is to pass as courteous, sensible discourse?

You are going to need to start spelling out what you consider a lack of courtesy because right now your only standard seems to equate disagreeing with you as a kind of rudeness.
 

Delmar

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Given the disdain for intellectualism and higher education endemic in conservative circles this should surprise absolutely no one.

Classic red herring. No conservative has disdain for intelligence.
 

PureX

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i don't buy it even a little bit. I know far too many people on both ends of the graph that are liberal, conservative and middle of the road.
I don't think the quote was intended to be anecdotal.

By definition conservatism seeks to support and maintain the status quo. Therefor, those who have been the most advantaged by whatever the social conventions are, tend to be the most conservative.

Most of the people here on TOL who call themselves conservatives are not conservative at all. They are not happy with the status quo and seek to overthrow it. What they are, are radicalized extremists. But the real conservatives in this country couldn't get elected anymore as wealth disparity diminished the numbers of those who were being advantaged by the status quo. So they radicalized these ideological extremists and tricked them into voting for them, to win elections. Thus these extremists have been mislabeled "conservatives" though they are not. It's why so many TOLers claim the republicans are conservative in name only: it's because they now think they are the definition of a conservative, when in fact they are radicalized extremists who have been co-opted and used by the republican conservatives to win elections that they couldn't otherwise win.

I think the quote was referring to the ignorance among these extremists in allowing themselves to be used, and in thinking they are now the "real conservatives".
 

bybee

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I don't think the quote was intended to be anecdotal.

By definition conservatism seeks to support and maintain the status quo. Therefor, those who have been the most advantaged by whatever the social conventions are, tend to be the most conservative.

Most of the people here on TOL who call themselves conservatives are not conservative at all. They are not happy with the status quo and seek to overthrow it. What they are, are radicalized extremists. But the real conservatives in this country couldn't get elected anymore as wealth disparity diminished the numbers of those who were being advantaged by the status quo. So they radicalized these ideological extremists and tricked them into voting for them, to win elections. Thus these extremists have been mislabeled "conservatives" though they are not. It's why so many TOLers claim the republicans are conservative in name only: it's because they now think they are the definition of a conservative, when in fact they are radicalized extremists who have been cooped and used by the conservatives to win elections that they cannot otherwise win.

I think the quote was referring to the ignorance among these extremists in allowing themselves to be used, and in thinking they are now the "real conservatives".

Could there possibly "ignorance" in the Liberal camp?
 

Delmar

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Classic red herring. No conservative has disdain for intelligence.


Laugh all you want but the closest you will come to proving your case, is finding conservatives who value common sense over academics. I would, in fact, put myself in this category. It would not surprise me if a lot of conservatives with advanced degrees would agree!
 

bybee

New member
I would say there is *some* ignorance in both camps, as well as stubbornness.

Agreed! Yet people of good will address an issue with an eye to problem solving. Ignorance can be alleviated but I'm not sure about stubbornness.
When I was a little girl I loved baseball and I could slug a ball over the fence right along with the toughest boys.
We played "work-up" or "Scrub ball" or "Sandlot ball". Different areas had different names for essentially the same game.
My point, we pooled our resources so we could have a game. Bats, balls and gloves were shared by all.
I believe that is fundamentally the American way.
 

Delmar

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I don't think the quote was intended to be anecdotal.
but the quote is wielded like a hammer.
By definition conservatism seeks to support and maintain the status quo. Therefor, those who have been the most advantaged by whatever the social conventions are, tend to be the most conservative.
That is why I prefer the term right wight fanatic!
Most of the people here on TOL who call themselves conservatives are not conservative at all. They are not happy with the status quo and seek to overthrow it. What they are, are radicalized extremists. But the real conservatives in this country couldn't get elected anymore as wealth disparity diminished the numbers of those who were being advantaged by the status quo. So they radicalized these ideological extremists and tricked them into voting for them, to win elections. Thus these extremists have been mislabeled "conservatives" though they are not. It's why so many TOLers claim the republicans are conservative in name only: it's because they now think they are the definition of a conservative, when in fact they are radicalized extremists who have been co-opted and used by the republican conservatives to win elections that they couldn't otherwise win.

I think the quote was referring to the ignorance among these extremists in allowing themselves to be used, and in thinking they are now the "real conservatives".
 

PureX

Well-known member
Could there possibly "ignorance" in the Liberal camp?
Sure. The liberal ignorance that I see most often is in their endless optimism about all things "progressive". Liberals are like Cub fans. They always think things are just about to turn around. They never want to acknowledge just how vile, stupid, and selfish humanity really is.

I don't think there's a Tinker's chance in Hades that Hillary Clinton will do anything to improve anyone's situation in this country except those who are already very rich and powerful. But liberals will vote for her, anyway, because she is a woman, and because they are blinded by their own endless progressive optimism, and they will be disappointed yet again.
 

bybee

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Sure. The liberal ignorance that I see most often is in their endless optimism about all things "progressive". Liberals are like Cub fans. They always think things are just about to turn around. They never want to acknowledge just how vile, stupid, and selfish humanity really is.

I don't think there's a Tinker's chance in Hades that Hillary Clinton will do anything to improve anyone's situation in this country except those who are already very rich and powerful. But liberals will vote for her, anyway, blinded by their own endless optimism, and they will be disappointed yet again.

Optimism is a thing experienced one on one. It is especially obvious when one contemplates this wondrous creation. My flowers delight me. My morning coffee delights me. Tender, generous words and deeds move my heart.
I know that the needs of others come before my own needs. I am not alone.
Life is a wondrous, rich and strange tapestry. I like to think that I am a gold thread weaving strength and healing and nurture into the tapestry.
 

The Barbarian

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I think we've got everyone with any sense at all, agreed that you can't judge people's intelligence by political orientation.

Is there anyone here still willing to buy the premise of the OP? Stalin's been dead a long time. Bury it with him.

I think this one's done.
 

aikido7

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"Self control" can easily be framed as hiding one's head in the sand.

In other words, what is seen as "self control" to some will be seen as something entirely different than others.

Liberals--in my view--tend to be unafraid of challenging their own convictions and being open to remain curious about things and to follow the truth wherever it leads them.

This stance can come across as threatening by some conservatives. A simple loss of control.
 

jgarden

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The self-control consequences of political ideology

"For instance, the belief that effective self-control stems from freewill should elicit greater reliance on internal factors (e.g., belief in personal control, achievement motivation) to enhance performance, whereas the belief that effective self-control does not stem from freewill should elicit greater reliance on external factors (e.g., responsiveness to contextual or social cues in one’s environment) to enhance performance.

Consequently, focusing conservative individuals on the importance of internal factors, and liberal individuals on the importance of contextual or social factors, should increase their ability to achieve their goals (e.g., educational pursuits)"

http://www.christianpost.com/news/s...ely-to-believe-they-have-self-control-140798/

http://www.pnas.org/content/112/27/8250.abstract
Study: Liberals Have Less Self-Control Because They're Less Likely to Believe They Have Self-Control

Just another example of conservatives taking the findings of a "study" out of context to serve their personal agenda.

The actual study doesn't state the title at all, but concludes that conservatives have more self-control when they believe in freewill, and liberals had equally as much self-control when they didn't believe in freewill. It derives from people who are internally motivated and externally. The above quote from the study's conclusion makes that explicitly

In addition, the study focuses on just one (free will) of many factors that determine self control and concludes that conservatives and liberals have different approaches to that factor.
 
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PureX

Well-known member
As a "flaming liberal", myself, I would say it's true that liberals have less 'self-control' than conservatives or moderates. And I think it's because part of the definition of a liberal is someone who's willing and interested in trying new ways of seeing and doing things. 'Liberal' also means open-minded, as well as open-hearted. Which I think would require that one exhibit somewhat less self-control, and tend more toward spontaneity and intuition.

It's not good or bad, it's very likely a little of both. Mostly, it's just different from being generally conservative.
 

aikido7

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As a "flaming liberal", myself, I would say it's true that liberals have less 'self-control' than conservatives or moderates. And I think it's because part of the definition of a liberal is someone who's willing and interested in trying new ways of seeing and doing things. 'Liberal' also means open-minded, as well as open-hearted. Which I think would require that one exhibit somewhat less self-control, and tend more toward spontaneity and intuition.

It's not good or bad, it's very likely a little of both. Mostly, it's just different from being generally conservative.
The famous economist John Stuart Mill once observed that "...not all conservatives are stupid, but most stupid people are conservative."

This is generally speaking, of course. The hard-bitten conservatives tend to remain out of the mainstream of culture and because they do so some important intellectual information gets passed by or ignored.
 
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Angel4Truth

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As a "flaming liberal", myself, I would say it's true that liberals have less 'self-control' than conservatives or moderates.

Proverbs 25:28
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Titus 1:8
But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

Titus 2:2
Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
 
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