# Political Compass #51: Astrology accurately explains many things. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 7, 2005, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789 "2005-02-07T09:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/21 "2005-02-07T20:14:46Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > I tried the test with all “Strongly Agree”, and also with ticking “Strongly Agree” except for #51 as “Strongly Disagree”. > > Your political compass > Economic Left/Right: 0.00 > Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 4.36 > > Your political compass > Economic Left/Right: 0.00 > Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 3.95 > > Apparently this test is set up that strongly agreeing or disagreeing with everything puts you right in the center economically. Several TPC threads back, I went thru and took the test with the same response to all queations and you get: Strong Dis: 0.00/-4.36 Strong Agr: 0.00/4.36 Disagree: -0.25/-2.41 Agree: 0.38/2.41 Which I thought was a bit odd since there was an asymmetry in the last two, indicating a slight bias to the right half of the economic spectrum. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/22 "2005-02-07T20:58:03Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Several TPC threads back, I went thru and took the test with the same response to all queations and you get: > > Strong Dis: 0.00/-4.36 > Strong Agr: 0.00/4.36 > Disagree: -0.25/-2.41 > Agree: 0.38/2.41 > > Which I thought was a bit odd since there was an asymmetry in the last two, indicating a slight bias to the right half of the economic spectrum. The big problem with a test like this: WHERE do you put the center? Take a look at [http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/uselection.php](http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/uselection.php). They have Kerry somewhat on the economic right. Thus the last presidential election was a matter of how far to the right economically does the voter want? By world standards, the US tends to be farther to the right than most of Europe. Consider health care. Getting rid of national health care in Europe would be an extremely unpopular idea. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/23 "2005-02-07T21:43:46Z")
(-7.38, -8.34) Astrology is complete bunk. I imagine that the question would indicate a certain capability for irrational beliefs, superstitions, and religious credulity. It may also indicate a vulnerability to emotionally based political appeals. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/24 "2005-02-08T00:30:48Z")
(nearly 0, nearly 0) It’s all about astronomy, not astrology. And other comments already made. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/25 "2005-02-08T00:52:37Z")
-3.0 -2.8 or something like that > [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I imagine that the question would indicate a certain capability for irrational beliefs, superstitions, and religious credulity. It may also indicate a vulnerability to emotionally based political appeals. The thing is, how the fug do you map that onto political bipole axes? Neither right nor left have a monopoly on appeal to emotion and irrational fears, nor on surrendering independent thought to “leaders who know better”. For instance, conventional Christian religiosity has a tendency to map conservative, but conversely it doctrinally spurns astrology and psychics; and churchmen are as often on the front lines of liberation or social-reform movements as on the picket lines against social liberalization. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/26 "2005-02-08T02:01:24Z")
[QUOTE=roger thornhill “Feng shui” and lucky days/dates are bunkum. [/QUOTE] -5.62, -5.49 Well, feng shui isn’t _complete_ bullshit. There actually is some validity to the correlation between how certain pieces of furniture are placed and how comfortable one feels in a room. For example, few people like to be seated with their backs to a door or large open space. But other than that, yeah, astrology and the like are complete and utter wastes of time. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/27 "2005-02-08T02:04:15Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > -3.0 -2.8 or something like that > > The thing is, how the fug do you map that onto political bipole axes? Neither right nor left have a monopoly on appeal to emotion and irrational fears, nor on surrendering independent thought to “leaders who know better”. For instance, conventional Christian religiosity has a tendency to map conservative, but conversely it doctrinally spurns astrology and psychics; and churchmen are as often on the front lines of liberation or social-reform movements as on the picket lines against social liberalization. I don’t know how it would indicate anything right or left but after further reflection, I wonder if they’re looking for contradiction/consistency in supernatural beliefs. Perhaps a yes to overtly religious religious questions and a no to astrology could indicate some sort of regimented enculturation or prejudice? Or maybe a consistent no to ALL questions of supernatural belief skews one way or the other? I don’t know but I’m guessing that question is only meanigful in context with other questions. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/28 "2005-02-08T02:24:55Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > There may have been some validity to astrology in societies where a person’s diet varies with the season (due to the possible effects on a developing fetus of the mother’s diet), but not anymore. I see your point, but astrology claims that the differences have to do with the alignment of planets and stars (or something). Proponents never mention Earthly seasonal variations. If your statement were true, surely astrological charts would be opposite (or at least very different) for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Also differences would exist for tropical and temperate zones, etc. I realise you are not supporting astrology, but I feel that conceding that it “may have had some validity” gives it a tiny bit of credence, which is a tiny bit more than it deserves. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/29 "2005-02-08T02:59:57Z")
> [@SentientMeat](#): > > Following **Shodan** ’s suggestion: Ticking all _Strongly Disagree_s gives (0.00, -4.36). Ticking all _Strongly Disagree_s **except** #51, and ticking _Strongly Agree_ instead, gives (0.00, -3.90). > > Thus, strong agreement with #51 gives you an enormous 0.46 nudge **away from libertarianism**. They must indeed be associating gullibility with authoritarianism, and considering right and left wings irrelevant here. [This](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,99945,00.html) shows some correlation between belief in astrology and political leanings > [@](#): > > Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say they believe in God (by eight percentage points), in heaven (by 10 points), in hell (by 15 points), and considerably more likely to believe in the devil (by 17 points). Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say they believe in reincarnation (by 14 percentage points), in astrology (by 14 points), in ghosts (by eight points) and UFOs (by five points). ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/30 "2005-02-08T03:09:46Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > [This](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,99945,00.html) shows some correlation between belief in astrology and political leanings But on average, Democrats tend to be less socially authoritarian than Republicans. Democrats are more likely to support abortion rights, gay rights, and oppose the idea of school prayer. Based on what you posted, looks like the Political Compass is scoring belief in astrology ass-backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/31 "2005-02-08T03:18:46Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > Based on what you posted, looks like the Political Compass is scoring belief in astrology ass-backwards. It seems so. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Dr.Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Love)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/32 "2005-02-08T04:31:59Z")
(4.25, -6.67) ticks strongly disagree. I suspect that several of the remaining questions will be pretty easy to find a consensus on. Interesting cite regarding beliefs in astrology. I must admit to not being very surprised, though I could see a case being made either way. I also wanted to mention, in case it hasn’t been noticed, that #52 and #55 have been changed since the start of this series of threads. #52 now reads “You cannot be moral without being religious.”, and #55 is “I would not wish to send my child to a school that did not instill religious values.” ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/33 "2005-02-08T04:56:11Z")
I read the astrology column occasionally for entertainment, but I don’t believe in it. The chair I’m sitting in has more gravitational influence on me than the planets. The star charts people follow are wrong. Due to precession (?) the signs, houses and charts have drifted over the past 2000-3000 years. So, my birthday 13 May is not really in Taurus. It “drifted” into some other sign. The alignments of the planets is just a function of going around in circles. Sometimes they will appear to line up, but it means nothing. Sometimes they even appear to reverse direction (retrograde), but it is just an illusion. A big problem with astrology is, the predictions are so vague. They can be interpreted after the fact and made to fit anything that happened. My other biggest problem with astrology is the idea that we are predestined, based on birthdays and signs. I am arrogant enough to think I have some control over my own destiny. > [@Lissa](#): > > For example, few people like to be seated with their backs to a door or large open space. I’m that way, because I like to see things happening, and feel less confined for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/34 "2005-02-08T05:28:06Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > [QUOTE=roger thornhill “Feng shui” and lucky days/dates are bunkum. -5.62, -5.49 Well, feng shui isn’t _complete_ bullshit. There actually is some validity to the correlation between how certain pieces of furniture are placed and how comfortable one feels in a room. For example, few people like to be seated with their backs to a door or large open space. But other than that, yeah, astrology and the like are complete and utter wastes of time. [/QUOTE] You should watch the Penn and Teller’s “Bullshit” episode on feng shi sometime. They totally destroy it. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/35 "2005-02-08T10:44:11Z")
> [@ultra](#): > > IIRC, one of the classic authoritarian personality traits is a lack of skepticism/introversion. That may explain the presence of this question. I think you’re right, **uf** (although I think you mean “intro_spection_” not “introversion”. Authoritarianism requires the people to accept things _unquestioningly_, despite their possible dubiousness. > [@JRD](#): > > Neither right nor left have a monopoly on appeal to emotion and irrational fears, nor on surrendering independent thought to “leaders who know better”. Agreed, which is why (economic) left or right is _unchanged_ regardless of how you answer this proposition. Only the _vertical_ axis changes, and perhaps this _does_ have a lot to do with (social) authoritarianism vs. libertarianism. > [@rx](#): > > Democrats are more likely to support abortion rights, gay rights, and oppose the idea of school prayer. Based on what you posted, looks like the Political Compass is scoring belief in astrology ass-backwards. But note that US Democrats _could be_ authoritarians compared to other parties in other Western democracies: correlating the Compass results solely with respect to two particular parties in one single country might be a little misleading in that respect. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/36 "2005-02-08T14:20:16Z")
> [@SentientMeat](#): > > But note that US Democrats _could be_ authoritarians compared to other parties in other Western democracies: correlating the Compass results solely with respect to two particular parties in one single country might be a little misleading in that respect. Fair point. However, can anyone here in Europe comment about whether people there who believe in astrology tend to belong to the more authoritarian parties? And in particular on **both** the left and right wing extremes? I think Apos might have guessed right what the Political Compass folks were thinking is “Dividing people up into different supopsed characters by the dates and times of their birth is no more sensible than doing so by the color of their skin, and no more laudable.” Think here of the more simplistic way of looking at astrology, such as someone who’d say “I’d never have a girlfriend who is a Libra.” Those who believe in astrology in that sense would be authoritarian in that they were letting other people (astrologers) tell them what other people are like based on the time of their birth, rather than make up their own minds. However, I agree with you that “I feel that this is the one (and only one, in my opinion) proposition where they have genuinely fucked up.” ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/37 "2005-02-08T14:39:37Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > Fair point. However, can anyone here in Europe comment about whether people there who believe in astrology tend to belong to the more authoritarian parties? And in particular on **both** the left and right wing extremes? Absolutely not. As I wrote before, it is my clear impression that astrology, numerology, Feng Shui as well as Buddhism, Pagens and other “alternative” religions & magic are much more the norm amongst the liberal wishy-washy feel-good “soft”-left. While perhaps not authoritarian left, they’d most certainly not tend to be on the right wing. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/38 "2005-02-08T15:00:40Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Absolutely not. As I wrote before, it is my clear impression that astrology, numerology, Feng Shui as well as Buddhism, Pagens and other “alternative” religions & magic are much more the norm amongst the liberal wishy-washy feel-good “soft”-left. While perhaps not authoritarian left, they’d most certainly not tend to be on the right wing. Nitpick: Buddhism is larger then Judaism and older then Christianity, hardly “alternative” in most all senses of the word. Also, while I agree that astrology and such are _more_ common amongst liberals, I doubt they’re “the norm”, as in they’re belived by more then 50%. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/39 "2005-02-08T15:04:01Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > Nitpick: Buddhism is larger then Judaism and older then Christianity, hardly “alternative” in most all senses of the word. Yes I know. I was addressing the west, or Europe - where it is “alternative”. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789/40 "2005-02-08T15:37:13Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Yes I know. I was addressing the west, or Europe - where it is “alternative”. Can’t speak for Europe but according to [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States) Buddhism is about equal in number of followers to Islam or the Unitarian churches in the U.S., which I doubt most people would consider “alternative”. Of course one could say all of these churches are alternative in that they aren’t part of mainstream christianity, which is the traditional church of most of the peoples living in the U.S, but if you want to make that your deffinition of “alternative”, then I’d say you’d have to include The Church of LDS as an “alternative” church, in which case I question your assertion that more liberals then conservatives belive in alternative religons, as there are several million mormons and they are overwelmingly conservative. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-51-astrology-accurately-explains-many-things/288789.md?page=3)