Please explain to me the psychology of Conservatives...

[Stephist]

Over on a message board for the University of Nebraska's athletic teams we were discussing the Men's basketball team's run in the Big XII Tournament and the Up coming NIT Tournament. Another poster on this board whom I often have debates with over the fact that he is incredibly pessimistic which leads to:

Question #1 Why are Conservatives so damned unhappy about everything? Seriously many of these people are just miserable.

On this the board there is a specific place to discuss politics which I stay away from because, this being a board full of Nebraskans, I just haven't got the stomach for it, however many posters bring their Republicanism to every part of the board so to show that not every one in Nebraska toes the Republican party line, I changed my sig line on this board too: "Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative." -John Stuart Mill-but still I never discussed politics on that board. Now I called out this other poster on the board for his pessimism again with this statement..."After nights like tonight he is never anywhere to be found unless he comes up with a reason why this wasn't a great win" (notice no political mention)

And his response was: You just made this up in your little liberal brain. (notice the political response)

Question number two. Even when the discussion doesn't concern politics why must Conservatives always make it the vocal point of the debate?

Now later still, we are talking about Nebraska and The NIT and I said "I will be out of town Thursday through Sunday and somebody here might have a spell if we lost and I didn't comment on it right away".
(notice no politics again)

His response was "clutch your heart on this one. The internet is now nationwide! You can thank your hero Al Gore for that one. ( Ah teaming me with that evil Al Gore)

Question number 3.
Why after all the lies that this administration has told the American people do they still have to fall back on their same old hobgoblins that never even really existed?

Question #4 being Conservatives how do these people know who my hero's are?
And as for the internet statement...I mean I can think of some real lies from GWB. Important ones not made up ones like this piddly Internet sh&t.

Now my response to this statement about Al Gore was " It's good to know there are Internet connections everywhere because now maybe you can Google Al Gore's Statement on the internet and find out the truth about it... But hey...
It's also good to know you will miss me but sadly one of the reasons that I am going out of town is because I won't have any access to internet connections, or cell phones, or even any bitter fools to argue with." (For the first time I bring up politics but don't insult his beliefs)

His response was " A retreat huh? It'll be good for your mental health, maybe help you get back on your feet. (Oh man he listens to Savage!)

Question #5 why do Conservatives think Liberalism is a mental disorder?

Is final statement was " And how did I know you'd defend Gore. Just how did I know?
I can read you like a book. It uncanny. (Again me and Al Gore evil partners in crime)

Question #6 What makes people like this tick? seriously I wanted to talk Basketball and he was stuck in 1999 arguing Al Gore.

So Question number #7 I guess is... How do you talk to a Conservative...If you must? ( god I feel dirty for stealing that)

I don't get these people at all.
:shrug:

[Erika]

1. Conservatives just need to hate, just accept that.

They make their living by it like Coulter, Rush, etc. They profit quite nicely. They also get sheeples to follow them through common hatred.

They are probably the biggest danger against America we've ever faced. They want to divide and hate anyone not on their "side". Anyone who backs bush is a neocon, not a true conservative.

[wake.up.america]

6. Saying someone is a conservative is deflecting the fact they are..

a menace to society.

Being a liberal is being someone who attempts to go forward and wishes to improve the status quo.

[Peter Frank]

2. Complicated Post, but simple Solution...

Work hard to truly understand the facts -- then share them without expectation.

[tom_paine]

3. You don't talk to Nazis and Totalitarian Slaves

(I leave you to figure out what to do to them)

The psychology of BushPutinism, which is merely the latest in the long string of Totalitarian Makeovers that have been going on long since the last strains (Nazisim and Sovietism) were defeated:

http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/jaspers02.htm

[DanCa]

4. Conservatism is lost on me.

The want to steal my disability check now and the call themselves christian.
They want to keep my crippled when stem cell research can be a cure all.
They lost two whole cities and their is no outraged.
I have no use for these people, and I use that term loosely. I swear eternally hostility on anyone who thinks in embryo is more important than a human being.

[Selatius]

5. I'll try to answer your questions point by point.

Question #1 Why are Conservatives so damned unhappy about everything? Seriously many of these people are just miserable.

If you came to accept the world as it is, to not think change is necessary and good, would you be happy? Especially viewing the shattered landscape of battlefields and poverty-stricken slums across the world. It's not something to feel "happy" over, and you'd be more bitter if you were stuck in a dead-end job making money for somebody else. You realize you've worked your whole life, yet most of the fruits of your labor went to somebody else, and you think, "That's the way of the world, and nothing will change."

Question number two. Even when the discussion doesn't concern politics why must Conservatives always make it the vocal point of the debate?

They were probably offended at your signature with Jon Stuart Mill's quotation and saw it as a roundabout attack on them.

Question number 3.
Why after all the lies that this administration has told the American people do they still have to fall back on their same old hobgoblins that never even really existed?

If I was a firm supporter of a party with a shitty record on quality of public education, quality of health care, environmental protections, labor standards, etc. I'd be pulling whatever I can out of my ass to change the topic to something else, too.

Question #4 being Conservatives how do these people know who my hero's are?

Well, given my answer to your second question, I'd assume they thought you were liberal as a result, so they automatically assumed your heroes were liberals.

Question #5 why do Conservatives think Liberalism is a mental disorder?

People who stir stuff up, in their minds, are lovers of pain, and they see that as crazy and stupid. They don't understand it. Why would people want to rock the boat, stir stuff up, and challenge everything?

Well, gee, one reason is they might not be happy with the way things are going and feel driven to try and change it to what they believe is right. Of course, this usually pisses off powerful people who profit off the existing order, and as Machiavelli said:

It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones.

Question #6 What makes people like this tick? seriously I wanted to talk Basketball and he was stuck in 1999 arguing Al Gore.

They're satisfied with the current state of their mind. Any notion or idea that may challenge or destroy their conception of the world will be opposed.

A thinking man is never satisfied. If he finds an answer, he goes to test it, and if there is no more to be found, he moves on to the next question. Sometimes the answer to the next question will challenge the first, so he has to either recalibrate his answer to the first or junk it in favor of an answer that can adequately address both questions. As a result, his conception of the world changes.

If you find a leftist who is a leftist because he grew up with leftist parents in a leftist community, he's a good guy with a good mind, but if you find a leftist who is a leftist because he thinks about things even though he may have grown up in a conservative home or a conservative environment, you have found a great mind.

So Question number #7 I guess is... How do you talk to a Conservative...If you must? ( god I feel dirty for stealing that)

With dyed-in-the-wool conservatives, avoid politics. With those who are not really conservatives, gently push them to think when asked but don't shove your views down their throats. Rather, simply provide them the tools necessary to find the answers. You can give a mountain climber all the tools he needs, but in the end, he has to do the work for himself.

[cornermouse]

7. Re: Conservatives or maybe its just people in general. I would add habits.

They're "safe". They're comfortable. And once the habit is set, thinking about it is no longer required.

[Disturbed]

8. If you really want to learn more about this topic

go here.

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

Type: "psychology concervative mind."

[izzie]

13. Gee but I like the way you think.

I came from a very conservative family but they knew things changed but they wanted it to go very slow and not spend much money. It was time when they did pay taxes into the very high percent so one had to feel their pain. They also wanted to keep money things like school boards local as they felt they knew where their money was going. Trouble is that did leave many with no education and the odd part of that was it was so Southern Dem. A hundred years of reconstitutions was really to slow. But I sort of understand that scary part of change. My big problem is I see no conservatives running our govt. at this time. It is more like a tiger tank moving through trying to get every one to do as they say. And no one can find out what the plan is. This may be the GOP now but it is not the philosophy of the old time GOP. Hard to face that as it is hard to face Congress would give up it's rights to make wars. Where are the Dem on that? Maybe we need a few more statesmen in both parties?

[ChristianLibrul]

9. Cancervatives

You don't need to "get" them. It's not worth your time. Think of it this way:

Q: Why don't you teach a pig to sing?

A: It'll frustrate you, and irritate the pig.

Cancervatives are that because they're sociopaths who can only live in a parallel universe where 2+2=5. Their existence is based on fantasy. Reality is Kryptonite to them. Having an independent thought causes sexual dysfunction. Questioning authority causes cancer.

They're criminally insane. Avoid them.

[valerief]

10. Not to be a poop but when you're on a board to discuss

Us vs. Them particulars (the game), it isn't a big leap for someone already in that Us vs. Them mentality to move to Us. vs. Them politics.

I can appreciate the fun of playing team sports but the obsessing over it is just a breeding ground for Us. vs. Them politics.

BTW, I'm not a trolling freeper. Just female.

[HamdenRice]

11. Pessimism is fundamental to conservativism

Even in their basic political philosophy, conservativism is fundamentally pessimistic about human nature. The 20th century capitalism vs communism debate was often described as a debate about whether human nature could be altered or improved. Obviously communism was an extreme version of the idea that human nature could be improved, but the conservatives fell back on the idea that human nature was fundamentally unchangeable, and that human nature was selfish. So the sharing of liberalism, communitarianism, socialism was incompatible with human nature. According to conservatives, the only way to make society work is to harness greed through the capitalist system -- that each person pursuing his own self interest would lead to the greatest efficiency.

Now I'm not saying some guy on a Nebraska basketball forum understands the fundamental philosohpy of conservativism, but the overall pessimism does trickle down to the conservative masses through the persistent, greed driven rhetoric of the conservative media.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Fear. The world is one big threat to them to the point of paranoia.

Fear of change.

Fear of the "others".

Fear of "God".

Fear of losing power - not just political power, but personal power over their spouses, lovers, kids, neighbors.

In essence - they are control freaks who are terrified at the thought of having their SAFE world disturbed.

[Ufomammut]

14. Might Makes "Right"

If you took away the need to attack and hate, there would be nothing left of the right wing movement. One could write a book on the topic, as some have, like Mark Crispin Miller's "Cruel & Unusual: Bush/Cheney's NWO."

The right wing movement is psychologically grounded in "projection:" to impute to others that which you are most guilty of yourself, and therefore fearful of on an unconscious level.

I don't know many repugs/conservatives - however one chooses to define that term - but the few I'm familiar with, including some DINO's who prefer to see themselves as "liberals" even though they're very much so shifted to the right, there's a noticeable:
1) lack of concern for the welfare of others ..this explains the opposition to "big government," which is code for favoring a big gov for the rich while abolishing any and all social welfare.

2) lack of concern, willingness or basic intellectual curiosity as to what's actually behind all the poison jive BS of Corporate Culture.

3) detached indifference, or conscious choosing to adhere to flagrant sexism, racism, class divisions, which is often contingent on years of exposure to propaganda, internalizing the "correct values."

4) disdain for anyone whose consciousness reveals a lack of similar "conditioning" i.e. "values" which often displays a startling hypocrisy, hence the psychological "projection."

5) preference for oversimplified, black/white ideals which allow for "might makes right" as it appeals to a lowest common denominator.

6) sexual repression, usually intertwined with religious indoctrination. Ironically though, such personality types are more likely to be influenced by and emulate the blatantly sexist, corporatized/pornographic version of sexuality because of its "might makes right," simplified view of humanity and sexuality. This also explains the cognitive dissonance within the susceptibility to "pro life, anti-gay" rhetoric, while simultaneously being in favor of the death penalty and war, the war economy/military industrial complex/fascism.

Comparatively, the "left," and many of those - irrespective of which name brand political ideology they align themselves with - are in the terminal stages of psychological "avoidance."

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. A lot of these people are very simple minded. They get their "politics" &

"thinking" directly from Rush and Rove. Since they haven't bothered to actually find out anything real about liberalism or Democrats except what they hear from Rush, they are told that our heroes are Al Gore and Hillary. Since they can't trumpet anything like "longest largest peacetime economic expansion in American history, IN YOUR FACE!", all they can do is bash who they perceive or believe to be the liberal heroes.

It's kind of funny and pathetic when the shrub loving trolls come here and try to put up threads against Hillary, "subtle" or otherwise, not even realizing that a large chunk of DU membership thinks she would be a bad candidate and don't want her to run. Total cluelessness.

They have no idea about anyone except Gore, Kerry, Hillary and whoever their propaganda ministers tell them to hate.

[Cerridwen]

16. One of the differences I've noticed between those of us we call

progressives and those we call conservative is...progressives generally look for commonalities - those things upon which we can agree; conservatives generally look for the differences - those things upon which we will never agree. Progressives attempt to create community and coalition; conservatives attempt to create division and cliques.

Just an observation of mine.

[Ufomammut]

17. Good point

However, at this point, the oh-so-reasonable sounding desire for common ground "moderates" is extremely dangerous, and, when you examine it, usually reveals a strong sense of "Oh, let's just let by-gones be by-gones. Let's not get "boggled down" in holding anyone legally accountable, and instead let's focus on how to improve the situation." And in walks another phony investigative panel to white wash the atrocity.

You see, that's typical, "moderate" rightist-ass-kissing strategy from DINO's, those who are horribly embarrassed over appearing to be "tin foil," and are firmly grounded in denial and avoidance.

Or to quote George Carlin: "The term bipartisan means that a larger than usual deception is being carried out against the American people."

[Cerridwen]

18. Actually, I wasn't discussing party politics, I was discussing

"life views" if you will. Party politics is another story altogether. That is when we get to see the struggle for power over others and in whose image said power will take.

edit: lost word

[Ufomammut]

19. The personal is political

I know what you're getting at, although "life/political" views are closely intertwined and in direct relation to one another for, well, I'd guess for most people.

[walldude]

20. The genius of Conservatives "The internet is now nationwide!"

Oooh.. "nationwide". Goes right back to "stupid" people being conservative. It also points out their uncanny knack for thinking that the US is the only country in the world that matters....

[hfojvt]

21. It seemed like your talk was personally nasty

even before the politics came into it. Am I reading this right? That you started by talking about him as a person who was always on the board explaining "why this was not a great victory."

When was this btw, because last I remember Nebraska, my alma mater, got whacked by KU, my current local team. So there was no victory, great or otherwise, to explain.

"Question #5 why do Conservatives think Liberalism is a mental disorder?"

Usually they think it is a moral disorder, but we seem to be in the same camp, since the CW (conventional wisdom) around here is that conservatism is a mental disorder.

Also, I think your sig line is confrontational, although for a long time I used "they never stop thinking about ways to hurt our country and neither do we" followed by "George Bush accidentally telling the truth". I usually prefer something that attacks Republican policy, rather than Republican voters. Try to convince the voters that they can do better, that they too are smart enough and decent enough to oppose the PNAC agenda.

[Stephist]

23. Good points...

The Victory I was referring to was Oklahoma the day before.

As for my sig line I added it because Republican propaganda is spewed by a good 60% of the posters on posts that have nothing to do with politics but you are right My sig line was confrontational and I actually changed it the day before this person commented on my little liberal brain.

[Sir Jeffrey]

22. They are supposed to be that way...

It is ingrained in them from the time they start school. They buy into all of the stupid myths that institutions force upon them before they are old enough to think critically. School and church are the two main influences...but there are others.

If you are familiar with Jungian psychology, you will know that the largest percentage of the population will generally accept what they are told about the world around them so long as their experiences do not deviate too far outside of what they are told.

Also, the largest percentage of the population will generally filter out information that contradicts their worldview if they hold firmly to certain beliefs...unless of course they have a "shattering" experience like homelessness (TANF doesn't seem to bad after all), being raped and impregnated (hooray for abortion rights), having a daughter who is gay ("This would be one issue where I disagree with the President"), and so forth.

Democrats have been consistently demonized for over a decade by the right-wing smear machine. This serves to "pull" the center of American political thought towards the right as certain pundits and talk show hosts consistently and repeatedly lie to their listeners about various Democrats in order to render their ideas unworkable and illogical. And never underestimate the near total control of the mainstream press by the power elite...still the source of most undereducated citizen's news and where much of the "coloring" of political beliefs instilled by church, school, and family comes from.

This tactic was used originally by US intelligence agencies to influence foreign elections and to encourage various pro-US policies in lieu of dirty wars. Now they do it domestically. So long as it works, no need for a massive military intervention.

And never forget that most of these people don't want to hear contradictory points that attack their beliefs. That is what makes dialogue with the hard-liners pointless. The conversations always go like the one you mentioned because they are ignorant of the facts and have no desire to learn new facts.

[Minnesota Libra]

24. A conservative and a Neocon are too different things, there are.......

.....conservatives right here on this board who are pretty dam cool people.:hug: It's the Neocons that your thread is referring to.:puke:

It's the neocons who are mentally unbalanced and who can't think for themselves. They have that herd mentality and need someone to tell them what to think and what to do. I've often wondered if neocons don't suffer from a strange form of autism. Believe I'm NOT putting down people with autism, that's why I said "a strange form of autism".

Think about it, people with autism are usually good at one main thing and absolutely excel at that activity. Neocons can repeat one or two short issues word-for-word over and over again. Other than that they can't think, all they can do is call others names.

So I think it is truly a mental disorder.