# Thinking Like a Conservative **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 30, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338 "2015-01-30T16:37:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/41 "2015-01-30T22:46:09Z")
I think that Jonathan Haidt does a good job via his research of looking at both conservatives and liberals and how they approach issues. A set of his talks, etc. is listed here: > **[Interviews & Lectures](http://righteousmind.com/about-the-author/interviews/)** > > Browse by type: Television Print Media Radio / Podcasts Lectures International Press Television If you view only one or two segments, these are the best: Bill Moyers The Colbert Report E.O. Wilson-… This has helped drive this website: [http://www.moralfoundations.org](http://www.moralfoundations.org) > [@](#): > > Much of our present research involves applying the theory to political “cultures” such as those of liberals and conservatives. The current American culture war, we have found, can be seen as arising from the fact that liberals try to create a morality relying primarily on the Care/harm foundation, with additional support from the Fairness/cheating and Liberty/oppression foundations. Conservatives, especially religious conservatives, use all six foundations, including Loyatly/betrayal, Authority/subversion, and Sanctity/degradation. The different foundations drive different perspectives, making it hard for liberals and conservatives to understand each other. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/42 "2015-01-30T22:47:49Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And there the symmetry/equivalence ends. A conservative would \*also \*say, “And there the symmetry/equivalence ends.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/43 "2015-01-30T22:49:30Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > One thing bears mentioning: Conservatives, IMHO, are more likely to perceive things from a “We’re being gagged/silenced” viewpoint, because political correctness tends to encourage liberal speech while discouraging conservative speech. Therefore, conservatives are more likely to say things like, _“I’m going to be blasted for telling the truth, but I must tell it anyway,”_ because they genuinely believe that to be the case - that they are speaking unpopular truth. And to be fair, there are quite a few times when they are. But to be even more fair, it leaves some of them to jump to the lazy conclusion that because what they say is unpopular that, in and of itself, is evidence that it is the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/44 "2015-01-30T22:50:28Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > [A pew poll.](http://www.people-press.org/2009/07/09/section-4-scientists-politics-and-religion/) > > 52% of American scientists ID as liberal, 9% as conservative. 55% Dem, 6% Pub. Six percent! Been consistent over the years too. > > I’m surprised you’d even want a cite for that, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you mention it before. When conservatives denounce science it’s often because they view it a conspiracy of ivory tower libs detached from the real world. It’s easy to see why they’d think that. If those are scientists who are faculty, many Republicans/Conservatives/Libertarians I know on campus register as Independent to avoid conflict at the academy. They are typically fiscal conservatives, however, who are turned off by the social conservatism of the Republican party. Anecdotal evidence only of course, so take it with a grain of salt (and squeeze of lime and shot of tequila). ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/45 "2015-01-30T22:51:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > But to be even more fair, it leaves some of them to jump to the lazy conclusion that because what they say is unpopular that, in and of itself, is evidence that it is the truth. Oh, for sure, quite a few of them do that on some issues. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/46 "2015-01-30T22:52:49Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > And that is why you support conservative, who don’t seem to know the meaning of pragmatic and centrist? :dubious: My guy was Jon Huntsman, the exemplar of conservative pragmatism. Of course, the first few years of Mr. Government-regulatory-state Obama did not endear me to his campaign promises of “No-nonsense pragmatism…” I did enjoy your analogy, however. I would add that conservatives view personal responsibility as critical: if you trip on a dangerous rock then we will help you. If you are running blind and fall off a cliff, there’s little sympathy. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/47 "2015-01-30T23:41:34Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > This explains a **lot** about how RW Americans and the rest just seem to talk past each other in different languages. It’s a series of blog posts at _The Nation_ Claiming that you understand conservatives because of something you read in _The Nation_ is like claiming that you understand black people based on something you heard at a KKK rally. Obviously to understand conservatives you have to read _The National Review_ or _The Weekly Standard_ or something else written by a conservative. Wouldn’t you agree? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/48 "2015-01-30T23:45:48Z")
> [@Unpronounceable](#): > > Ironically, any attempt to disagree with this simply proves it to be true. 😉 Well, no, that all depends on **how** you disagree with it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/49 "2015-01-30T23:48:00Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Claiming that you understand conservatives because of something you read in _The Nation_ is like claiming that you understand black people based on something you heard at a KKK rally. Obviously to understand conservatives you have to read _The National Review_ or _The Weekly Standard_ or something else written by a conservative. Wouldn’t you agree? And clearly Perlstein has read a lot of that stuff (and so have I) – not just read it, but studied it intensively. Conservative rhetoric, literature and activism from the 1950s to the present is covered/quoted a lot in his three books. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/50 "2015-01-30T23:53:44Z")
If Perlstein or you have studied it intensively it doesn’t show because so much of it is wrong. I wasted about 2 minutes and read the first linked article in the OP. It was shit. I could point out areas that are just incorrect but then I dunno, based on what Perlstein has written I would be lying, or have a penchant for violence and war. Who the fuck knows what other crazy shit he would think. If you disagree with this, you are wrong. Oh wait, that was my impression of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/51 "2015-01-30T23:59:19Z")
[QUOTE=YogSosoth] For conservatives, they’re always out there blaming people … women should dress more modestly if they don’t want to be raped,… (and if you disagree with those characterizations, cite me 3 instances of an elected GOP official saying the opposite of those things who’s didn’t say it in the middle of campaign season) [/QUOTE] Since you’re the one making the characterization, the burden of proof is on you. How many GOP officials can you quote saying what you attributed to them: “women should dress more modestly if they don’t want to be raped”? Can you name even one? ---
**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:** [January 31, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/52 "2015-01-31T03:35:23Z")
“Have you ever noticed how conservatives who say the most controversial things imaginable think no one actually disagrees with them?” It’s not just conservative who [do this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741819) There are more where that came from, too. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/53 "2015-01-31T06:39:06Z")
The reasoning in the OP comes across as a way for the author (of the article) to demonize his opponents. To paraphrase: “Not only are conservatives wrong but we need to realize they are wrong because their way of thinking is wrong.” It’s a more polite version of “Those dirty [insert racial sub-group here] aren’t as smart as we are”. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/54 "2015-01-31T17:02:10Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > And yet, _this_ liberal board doesn’t do that. There are plenty of conservative message boards that ban liberals as well. I’m sure there are some that don’t. But it’s definitely not something only liberals do. Can you name some conservative boards that ban liberals? I honestly don’t know of any. As to your claim that it’s not something that only Liberals do, I’m not sure who you’re arguing with here. I specifically stated that of course Conservatives are guilty of this as well. It’s the OP who seems to have a blind spot in that regard. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/55 "2015-02-01T01:47:00Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > [A pew poll.](http://www.people-press.org/2009/07/09/section-4-scientists-politics-and-religion/) > > 52% of American scientists ID as liberal, 9% as conservative. 55% Dem, 6% Pub. Six percent! Been consistent over the years too. > > I’m surprised you’d even want a cite for that, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you mention it before. When conservatives denounce science it’s often because they view it a conspiracy of ivory tower libs detached from the real world. It’s easy to see why they’d think that. I can see that a few ways. [ul][li]Because those who denounce the “ivory tower” are anti-science crooks who fear education and truth?[/li][li]Because the GOP base lives in a fantasy world and they fear progress?[/li][li]Because a scientific education tends to lead people away from ideas strongly identified with cultural conservatism (racial essentialism, Young Earth Creationism, Cartesian dualism, etc.)?[/li][li]Or because when you spend a lot of time trying to get grants so you can pursue science, Reaganism starts hurting your ability to make a living?[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/56 "2015-02-01T04:58:22Z")
One thing I’ve noticed about conservatives is that they seldom quote their opponents directly. Instead, they deliver a distorted, heavily-spun characterization of what their agenda supposedly is: Liberals want to destroy America, they want to destroy Christianity, they want to destroy Marriage, etc. Meanwhile, a typical post on a liberal blog (such as [Right Wing Watch](http://www.rightwingwatch.org/)) is often nothing more than an at-length quote from some prominent conservative. Further commentary is often unnecessary because the outrageousness of their views is readily apparent. So why is that? Conservatives cannot admit that there’s anything reasonable about their opponents views, so they have to make up a bunch of conspiracy-theory bullshit instead. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/57 "2015-02-01T05:11:51Z")
The irony is high with the lack of quotation. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/58 "2015-02-01T05:36:13Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I think Conservatives are likely to only listen to other Conservatives and thus come to their incorrect conclusions from a lack of information. Liberals on the other hand will take a much broader view of an issue before coming to their incorrect conclusions. Then why is it that the more liberal the university the more apt the students there are to try to stop speakers espousing a contrary ideology? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/59 "2015-02-01T05:46:45Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > One thing I’ve noticed about conservatives is that they seldom quote their opponents directly. Instead, they deliver a distorted, heavily-spun characterization of what their agenda supposedly is: Liberals want to destroy America, they want to destroy Christianity, they want to destroy Marriage, etc. . . . This is certainly the Rush Limbaugh one-trick-pony. You can’t listen to him for more than ten minutes without him doing this. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338/60 "2015-02-01T05:51:55Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Then why is it that the more liberal the university the more apt the students there are to try to stop speakers espousing a contrary ideology? They’re trying to spare the speaker the embarrassment of their remarks making the news. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thinking-like-a-conservative/711338.md?page=4)