i tried to stay away, but this new study just had to be promoted. <a href="http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1142722231554">link here</a><br><br>snippet:<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Remember the whiny, insecure kid in nursery school, the one who always thought everyone was out to get him, and was always running to the teacher with complaints? Chances are he grew up to be a conservative.<br><br>At least, he did if he was one of 95 kids from the Berkeley area that social scientists have been tracking for the last 20 years. The confident, resilient, self-reliant kids mostly grew up to be liberals.<p><hr></blockquote><p>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Block admits in his paper that liberal Berkeley is not representative of the whole country.<p><hr></blockquote><p>Like my friend always says, No sh!t Sherlock! <br><br>I wonder if in a conservative environment, exactly the opposite would happen. Isn't the whiny kid whining against the status quo?<br><br>edit: posted too soon. The article wonders the same thing!<br><br>. . . . . Here's lookin' at [color:red]you</font color=red> kid.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by yoyo52 on 03/21/06 10:48 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

the ending is pretty nifty as well:<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p> Whether anyone's feelings are hurt or not, the work suggests that personality and emotions play a bigger role in our political leanings than we think. All of us, liberal or conservative, feel as though we've reached our political opinions by carefully weighing the evidence and exercising our best judgment. But it could be that all of that careful reasoning is just after-the-fact self-justification. What if personality forms our political outlook, with reason coming along behind, rationalizing after the fact?<br><br>It could be that whom we vote for has less to do with our judgments about tax policy or free trade or health care, and more with the personalities we've been stuck with since we were kids.<p><hr></blockquote><p>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

I've never had the illusion that my political preferences are based on a rational process, at least not to begin with. I have a pretty visceral response to things, mostly in response to what I see as underdogs being outmaneuvered by fat cats (the animal imagery is pretty interesting isn't it--cats are always the bad guys, like the Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp). I'm also pretty certain that the rational argument that I employ depends on that gut response in pretty large ways. But then, I've never believed that reason is completely abstracted from the emotional life.<br><br>And, maybe most importantly, I came of political age when Richard Nixon was in the White House. 'Nuff said! <br><br>. . . . . Here's lookin' at [color:red]you</font color=red> kid.

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Whether anyone's feelings are hurt or not, the work suggests that personality and emotions play a bigger role in our political leanings than we think<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Are these people idiots? This conclusion is a no-brainer.<br><br>

i think if you read through posts on this forum, a many people reveal that they took time to evaluate an issue being debated and that they came to their own conclusions. often you hear, "i didn't listen to rush limbaugh to come to that position; rather, i came to this conclusion based on my own research on the matter."<br><br>i think the study is saying that people claiming to research an issue and come to a conclusion may be bogus and that their mind was already made up because of their personality and various emotions. <br><br>either it was a brainer, or you're saying all of those folks who think they think through various issues are idiots. (psst. i bet you've made the claim that you thought things through and came to your own conclusions in the past as well . . . if so, "idiot!"). <br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>i think the study is saying that people claiming to research an issue and come to a conclusion may be bogus and that their mind was already made up because of their personality and various emotions.<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>I don't read "issue" I read "political leanings" as in conservative or liberal.. as was called out in my quote. But one issue does not make a person conservative or liberal. A person can be a liberal, but still be opposed to abortion. But then I skimmed alot so perhaps I missed some. <br><br>Of course people will look at separate issues, but it really is a no brainer that personality drives your leanings as a whole. Your personality is *you*. It drives every single thing you do every single day, from what you want for lunch to what car you drive to what TV shows you watch. So for me, yeah it's a no brainer and a waste of time and money imho.<br><br>