Define Conservatives vs. Liberals

Monday, March 20, 2006

Conservative vs Liberal Personality Types 

This seems consistent with the arguments used by conservatives to criticize John Kerry. They bashed him for being so ambiguous on issues. But in reality, he simply doesn't see things in the black & white terms many conservatives apply to issues. Can the Iraq debacle be defined in black & white terms? Can changes to social security, medicare, taxes, or abortion be viewed in black & white terms? I don't think so, since every change has consequences that need to be considered. And I'm fine with that. The ambiguity of issues is what makes them interesting.

I don't gravitate toward authority that will make live simple for me. Instead, I prefer researching problems myself, reading the opinions of a variety of experts, and coming to my own conclusions about what's best for me and my country. This is a common liberal trait, and partly what makes it so hard for liberals to organize. How do you organize people who thrive on having their own opinions?

TheStar.com - How to spot a baby conservative

A few decades later, Block followed up with more surveys, looking again at personality, and this time at politics, too. The whiny kids tended to grow up conservative, and turned into rigid young adults who hewed closely to traditional gender roles and were uncomfortable with ambiguity.

The confident kids turned out liberal and were still hanging loose, turning into bright, non-conforming adults with wide interests. The girls were still outgoing, but the young men tended to turn a little introspective.