British Study: Liberals smarter than Conservatives

[DetlefK]

several articles on the Internet, for instance
http://uspolitics.tribe.net/thread/fe675314-5517-4515-92df-507bfe37a347

The London School of Economics and Political Science conducted IQ-tests and correlated them with the self-ascribed beliefs of the person, ranging from "very religious" to "atheistic" and from "very conservative" to "very liberal".

On average, liberals and atheists are smarter.

Experts argue, that these results should not be used to judge individual people, but rather regarded as a global factor in the development of ideologies.

[lunatica]

1. Sometimes the obvious needs to be stated

n/t

[newfie11]

2. Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, Rush

They don't come any stupider.

[ET Awful]

3. Sure they do, after all, to quote Ben Kenobi . . . who is more foolish, the fool

or the fool who follows him (or her or them)? :)

[newfie11]

13. I didn't think of that Yes you are right n/t

[LeftishBrit]

4. Speaking as a British left-wing atheist, Kanazawa is still rather dodgy

He is the sort of rather simplistic evolutionary psychologist who thinks that every individual item of behaviour must be genetically controlled and have directly evolved for some specific purpose.

This can lead, and does in his case, to very reactionary views that traditional social mores are 'human nature' and cannot or should not be modified. For example, sex roles. He has called feminism 'evil':

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200908/why-modern-feminism-is-illogical-unnecessary-and-evil

His views on race are equally nasty:

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:BHupmtXJ5AcJ:www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/nov/05/highereducation

Also see his views on war, hate, and Ann Coulter:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200803/why-we-are-losing-war.

Even when he comes up with a result that we happen to like, I think we need to distrust him.

[pintobean]

8. This study is based on this:

"The study takes the American view of liberal vs. conservative. It defines "liberal" in terms of concern for genetically nonrelated people and support for private resources that help those people. It does not look at other factors that play into American political beliefs, such as abortion, gun control and gay rights."

I don't know anyone who would use this definition.

[Fumesucker]

10. Kanazawa isn't just dodgy, he's an utter freakin loon..

That bit about President Coulter is over the damn Moon whacked.

He should be kept away from children's safety scissors..

[Starry Messenger]

11. Figures.

This smelled funny the several times I've seen it posted. Evo psych is a crock.

[whistler162]

5. And yet a number of "liberals" and "atheists"

will believe this "study"!

[mwb970]

6. My personal study: Water is wet.

Not all conservatives are dumb, but every dumb person I have ever known has been a conservative. It's a natural home for those who just don't "get it".

For me, the most frustrating thing about the lower intelligence of conservatives is that it leaves them humor-impaired, unable to detect nuance or irony, seeing only surfaces. When I say something subtly witty and everyone laughs (hey, it happens), it's always a conservative who gives me that screwed-up "you're crazy" face and says "Wha...?". Then I have to explain the joke to them and they say "Oh", clearly still not getting it.

It's maddening to have to deal with these people in person. I wish they had their own state (or country, or planet) and would leave the rest of us alone.

[WCGreen]

7. It is easy to accept the rantings of a cponservative...

After all, Rush is always telling people how to think...

And buying into religious dogma is perfect for those who wish to accept instead of think about anything...

[Lost-in-FL]

9. Duh!!! nt

[HughBeaumont]

12. Lincoln Shot! Titanic Sinks! Japan Surrenders! Barry Bonds Juices!

Colonel Mustard called; he said to get a Clue.

[DavidDvorkin]

14. This must be about the 20th time this has been posted

Possibly a lot more than that.

[QC]

15. This same scientist also says that white people are smarter than black people.

I doubt that you, or the fifty or so other people who have posted this same study in the past few days, really want to be associated with this guy.