Actually I had heard the fear centers are the same size in both liberal and conservative brains, but because conservative brains are so much smaller overall, the fear centers in conservative brains just appear to be larger.

proof that neanderthals and humans intermixed.

I am no expert, but I have been interested in the relationship the Amygdala has on fear for a number of years. It is not surprising that there is a correlation here. But it’s just a correlation. People might be more predisposed to certain stimuli because of an enlarged amygdala, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t or can’t learn to overcome those kinds of cognitive biases.

I am no expert, but I have been interested in the relationship the Amygdala has on fear for a number of years. It is not surprising that there is a correlation here. But it’s just a correlation. People might be more predisposed to certain stimuli because of an enlarged amygdala, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t or can’t learn to overcome those kinds of cognitive biases.

I am no expert, but I have been interested in the relationship the Amygdala has on fear for a number of years. It is not surprising that there is a correlation here. But it’s just a correlation. People might be more predisposed to certain stimuli because of an enlarged amygdala, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t or can’t learn to overcome those kinds of cognitive biases.

I am no expert, but I have been interested in the relationship the Amygdala has on fear for a number of years. It is not surprising that there is a correlation here. But it’s just a correlation. People might be more predisposed to certain stimuli because of an enlarged amygdala, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t or can’t learn to overcome those kinds of cognitive biases.

I am no expert, but I have been interested in the relationship the Amygdala has on fear for a number of years. It is not surprising that there is a correlation here. But it’s just a correlation. People might be more predisposed to certain stimuli because of an enlarged amygdala, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t or can’t learn to overcome those kinds of cognitive biases.

I am no expert, but I have been interested in the relationship the Amygdala has on fear for a number of years. It is not surprising that there is a correlation here. But it’s just a correlation. People might be more predisposed to certain stimuli because of an enlarged amygdala, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t or can’t learn to overcome those kinds of cognitive biases.

Finally a real reason the repubs just don’t seem to measure up! They are afraid of their own shadow and to afraid to do anything about it! A great example is the damn birthers! We all know where Obama was born isn’t the real issue here, but the color of his skin is! They are just to cowardly to admit it! So they have created an issue to hide behind! I still maintain these are the mental patients that reagan said the government couldn’t afford to house and let them all out of the loony bins! They were all so grateful they became registered republicans!!!!

Finally a real reason the repubs just don’t seem to measure up! They are afraid of their own shadow and to afraid to do anything about it! A great example is the damn birthers! We all know where Obama was born isn’t the real issue here, but the color of his skin is! They are just to cowardly to admit it! So they have created an issue to hide behind! I still maintain these are the mental patients that reagan said the government couldn’t afford to house and let them all out of the loony bins! They were all so grateful they became registered republicans!!!!

Finally a real reason the repubs just don’t seem to measure up! They are afraid of their own shadow and to afraid to do anything about it! A great example is the damn birthers! We all know where Obama was born isn’t the real issue here, but the color of his skin is! They are just to cowardly to admit it! So they have created an issue to hide behind! I still maintain these are the mental patients that reagan said the government couldn’t afford to house and let them all out of the loony bins! They were all so grateful they became registered republicans!!!!

Gee, go figure. Who would have guessed that conservatives are scared bullies.

Gee, go figure. Who would have guessed that conservatives are scared bullies.

Gee, go figure. Who would have guessed that conservatives are scared bullies.

I would also like to seen brain scans of politicians brains but not to determine if they are lying or not, I already know that answer. I would like to determine if they have a brain.

I would also like to seen brain scans of politicians brains but not to determine if they are lying or not, I already know that answer. I would like to determine if they have a brain.

I would also like to seen brain scans of politicians brains but not to determine if they are lying or not, I already know that answer. I would like to determine if they have a brain.

So have they found the “yellow stripe” gene yet?

So have they found the “yellow stripe” gene yet?

So have they found the “yellow stripe” gene yet?

Golly, all this time I had it figured that “conservatives” just had smaller lungs. You know, cause they lungs weren’t doing that ‘pulmonary’ drill in pumping enough oxygen to their brains.
Okay, studies show “larger amygdalas and smaller anterior cingulate…”
There you go.

Golly, all this time I had it figured that “conservatives” just had smaller lungs. You know, cause they lungs weren’t doing that ‘pulmonary’ drill in pumping enough oxygen to their brains.
Okay, studies show “larger amygdalas and smaller anterior cingulate…”
There you go.

Golly, all this time I had it figured that “conservatives” just had smaller lungs. You know, cause they lungs weren’t doing that ‘pulmonary’ drill in pumping enough oxygen to their brains.
Okay, studies show “larger amygdalas and smaller anterior cingulate…”
There you go.

[...] Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain [...]

I always knew cancervatives were primitive, now I can prove it.

I always knew cancervatives were primitive, now I can prove it.

So what FDR really meant to say was…………….”The only fear we have to fear is if Neo-Cons ever take control, they will instill so much fear in the American People, that with their paranoid propaganda Americans will volunteer to give up their freedoms and allow themselves to be controlled by the police state.
Yep, this study may have latched on to something……

So what FDR really meant to say was…………….”The only fear we have to fear is if Neo-Cons ever take control, they will instill so much fear in the American People, that with their paranoid propaganda Americans will volunteer to give up their freedoms and allow themselves to be controlled by the police state.
Yep, this study may have latched on to something……

That’s news? To who(whom, thanks BJ)? The no good sonabitches have been running and hiding and sending others to do the fighting since time immemorial. Never met a conservative with any balls, first one out the door or on the floor, cutting a deal to save their own ass, talk all that tough guy shit but when it’s time to man up there gone. When called out their typical response in a high pitched nasally voice is “hey buddy, you better watch it or I’m gonna”. Gonna do what? Run? Talk some more tough guy shit? I’ve intervened in situations where a wife would be getting assulted and the husband stood by and did the “hey buddy” routine. Think of all the tough guy war mongers republicans who have no problem sending someone else kids off to war but not theirs. Where were they when it was their turn? Deferments. The difference between a liberal and a conservative is this: A conservative looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for me. A liberal looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for us. Remember that the next time you see a republican called out and backed down, he’s thinking what’s in it for me, “I could get hurt”, “how much this going to cost me”, “how can I make some money on this”. Pick your team.

That’s news? To who(whom, thanks BJ)? The no good sonabitches have been running and hiding and sending others to do the fighting since time immemorial. Never met a conservative with any balls, first one out the door or on the floor, cutting a deal to save their own ass, talk all that tough guy shit but when it’s time to man up there gone. When called out their typical response in a high pitched nasally voice is “hey buddy, you better watch it or I’m gonna”. Gonna do what? Run? Talk some more tough guy shit? I’ve intervened in situations where a wife would be getting assulted and the husband stood by and did the “hey buddy” routine. Think of all the tough guy war mongers republicans who have no problem sending someone else kids off to war but not theirs. Where were they when it was their turn? Deferments. The difference between a liberal and a conservative is this: A conservative looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for me. A liberal looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for us. Remember that the next time you see a republican called out and backed down, he’s thinking what’s in it for me, “I could get hurt”, “how much this going to cost me”, “how can I make some money on this”. Pick your team.

NO SHIT!!!!! These people would be afraid of their grandmothers if Bill O’Reilly or Glenn Beck said they are secret aliens out to get them. It doesn’t take much to get these people worked up on anything or anyone who is different from themselves. They are big WUSSIES as I’ve said for years now.

NO SHIT!!!!! These people would be afraid of their grandmothers if Bill O’Reilly or Glenn Beck said they are secret aliens out to get them. It doesn’t take much to get these people worked up on anything or anyone who is different from themselves. They are big WUSSIES as I’ve said for years now.

WELL, that explains EVERYTHING!
NOW we know WHY Bush and Cheney and all the other NeoCON’s avoided military duty yet screamed the sky is falling at every turn and sent others out to fight their wars. They are genetically programmed Chickenshits from birth. Larger amygdalas, smaller anterior cyngulates and likely, small something elses, lead to over compensation with guns and “macho”, albeit an arm chair general kind of bravado! Liberalism is BETTER! Now, Mc Cain, likely EVERYTHING is shrunken on that poor walking mummy.

WELL, that explains EVERYTHING!
NOW we know WHY Bush and Cheney and all the other NeoCON’s avoided military duty yet screamed the sky is falling at every turn and sent others out to fight their wars. They are genetically programmed Chickenshits from birth. Larger amygdalas, smaller anterior cyngulates and likely, small something elses, lead to over compensation with guns and “macho”, albeit an arm chair general kind of bravado! Liberalism is BETTER! Now, Mc Cain, likely EVERYTHING is shrunken on that poor walking mummy.

I fear the fear center.

I fear the fear center.

I knew it -Explains why they’re always running around screaming about how scared they are about EVERYTHING.What a bunch of Pussies.

I knew it -Explains why they’re always running around screaming about how scared they are about EVERYTHING.What a bunch of Pussies.

Fear? or is it (lack of) comprehension, correlation, reasoning, and long term consequences of actions ?? !!

Fear? or is it (lack of) comprehension, correlation, reasoning, and long term consequences of actions ?? !!

Actually, I’m more than a little surprised that they found brains in conservatives at all.

Actually, I’m more than a little surprised that they found brains in conservatives at all.

oh snort !

actually it’s mostly just a dried up stale clump of cauliflower ….

oh snort !

actually it’s mostly just a dried up stale clump of cauliflower ….

No, it’s being uninformed enough to fall for propaganda and fear-mongering.

Those “large” fear segments are probably just evidence of ignorance. The more “fearful” people, are usually those who don’t “understand” what’s going on.

No, it’s being uninformed enough to fall for propaganda and fear-mongering.

Those “large” fear segments are probably just evidence of ignorance. The more “fearful” people, are usually those who don’t “understand” what’s going on.

In other words, conservatives are gutless, pessimistic cowards. Yeah…that sounds about right.

In other words, conservatives are gutless, pessimistic cowards. Yeah…that sounds about right.

Oh, hell. It isn’t as if the conservatives haven’t been trying to get rid of science everywhere they can already. Now this will really set them to “science is evil” campaign trail and next thing we know we’ll all hve to live by “does the Bible actually say so” rules! But damn the amydala, full steam aaaaaaaaaaaahead!

Oh, hell. It isn’t as if the conservatives haven’t been trying to get rid of science everywhere they can already. Now this will really set them to “science is evil” campaign trail and next thing we know we’ll all hve to live by “does the Bible actually say so” rules! But damn the amydala, full steam aaaaaaaaaaaahead!

To whom

I can’t help it.. it’s a quirk of mine!

To whom

I can’t help it.. it’s a quirk of mine!

Gays, mexicans, muslims, atheists, secularists, pagans, 9/11 rescue workers, taxes, the French, evolution, environmental rights, feminists, peace, welfare, “war on xmas”…

And change

What else do they fear?

Gays, mexicans, muslims, atheists, secularists, pagans, 9/11 rescue workers, taxes, the French, evolution, environmental rights, feminists, peace, welfare, “war on xmas”…

And change

What else do they fear?

It’s fear among senior citizens who watch Fox Network. It’s greed among Generation X’ers who want to become rich overnight. It’s ignorance among rednecks who listen to Limbarugh. It’s anti-intellectualism among working-class whites from rural areas (George Wallace’s constituency). All together, it’s close to a plurality nationwide. And that’s why Sarah Palin is still a viable candidate, believe it or not.

It’s fear among senior citizens who watch Fox Network. It’s greed among Generation X’ers who want to become rich overnight. It’s ignorance among rednecks who listen to Limbarugh. It’s anti-intellectualism among working-class whites from rural areas (George Wallace’s constituency). All together, it’s close to a plurality nationwide. And that’s why Sarah Palin is still a viable candidate, believe it or not.

So, this explains a lot. Fear is just another word for conservatives making their dreams a reality (See, “The Power of Nightmares”. The radical islamists and the neocons, both conservative groups).

So, this explains a lot. Fear is just another word for conservatives making their dreams a reality (See, “The Power of Nightmares”. The radical islamists and the neocons, both conservative groups).

This is the third study that I’ve seen that basically says the same thing, right-wingers are hard wired to be more fearful, which affects their political choices.

This is the third study that I’ve seen that basically says the same thing, right-wingers are hard wired to be more fearful, which affects their political choices.

Alternate headlines: “SHOCKER!!: Researchers Discover Conservatives Have Brains”

“Science Confirms that Republicans are Pussies”

“Study Shows All Conservatives are Like Dick Cheney”

Alternate headlines: “SHOCKER!!: Researchers Discover Conservatives Have Brains”

“Science Confirms that Republicans are Pussies”

“Study Shows All Conservatives are Like Dick Cheney”

Sarah Palin is not a viable candidate. Never has been, never will be.

This bubblehead would be nowhere if the establishment media wasn’t propping her up, and even despite them doing so, she’s so UNVIABLE, that the public still isn’t sold on her.

Sarah Palin is not a viable candidate. Never has been, never will be.

This bubblehead would be nowhere if the establishment media wasn’t propping her up, and even despite them doing so, she’s so UNVIABLE, that the public still isn’t sold on her.

Ha ha ha! This made me laugh. It explains so much. And the silver lining here is that the study seems to indicate that they have a brain, something I had seriously doubted prior to its release.

Ha ha ha! This made me laugh. It explains so much. And the silver lining here is that the study seems to indicate that they have a brain, something I had seriously doubted prior to its release.

Communists, Socialists, intelligence, the truth, reality

Communists, Socialists, intelligence, the truth, reality

fear of freedom of choice is how I read it…….

fear of freedom of choice is how I read it…….

Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.

Proof?, that conservatives are un-evolved Neanderthals. It sure explains, their visceral behaviors.

Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.

Proof?, that conservatives are un-evolved Neanderthals. It sure explains, their visceral behaviors.

[...] Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain Blogroll [...]

including random acts of adultery and hate of those who are “different”

including random acts of adultery and hate of those who are “different”

including random acts of adultery and hate of those who are “different”

Waa haa…I noticed that on my second reading and thought that they were de-evolving.

Waa haa…I noticed that on my second reading and thought that they were de-evolving.

Waa haa…I noticed that on my second reading and thought that they were de-evolving.

I read in the newspapers they are going to have 30 minutes of intellectual stuff on television every Monday from 7:30 to 8. to educate America. They couldn’t educate America if they started at 6:30. – Groucho Marx

I read in the newspapers they are going to have 30 minutes of intellectual stuff on television every Monday from 7:30 to 8. to educate America. They couldn’t educate America if they started at 6:30. – Groucho Marx

I read in the newspapers they are going to have 30 minutes of intellectual stuff on television every Monday from 7:30 to 8. to educate America. They couldn’t educate America if they started at 6:30. – Groucho Marx

This is a new tool for conservatives to strain out the wheat from the chaff. Brain scans before someone can join the GOP, will give them the cultural mayonnaise they desire. Or if the GOP wins back the presidency, brain scans of company bosses before contract approval. Scary shit.

This is a new tool for conservatives to strain out the wheat from the chaff. Brain scans before someone can join the GOP, will give them the cultural mayonnaise they desire. Or if the GOP wins back the presidency, brain scans of company bosses before contract approval. Scary shit.

This is a new tool for conservatives to strain out the wheat from the chaff. Brain scans before someone can join the GOP, will give them the cultural mayonnaise they desire. Or if the GOP wins back the presidency, brain scans of company bosses before contract approval. Scary shit.

If only there were a way to exploit these differences to an end of eliminating conservative-style brains from the gene pool. Short of genocide, of course…I think…yes, short of genocide.

[...] have bigger brains? Really just a bigger fear center A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains have [...]

Conservatives also have smaller pen!ses and bigger buttholes.

I can’t wait until they discover that conservatives also have over-sized hate centers.

Or have brains at all!

“For his part, actor Colin Firth, who hosted the BBC show that revealed the results of the brain scans, has said he wants to see brain scans on politicians to find out if they are telling the truth about what they believe.”

LOL. This would create a new wave of cynicism against politicians.

I can’t wait until they discover that trolls have no brains at all.

“If the study is confirmed, it could give us the first medical explanation for why conservatives tend to be more receptive to threats of terrorism, for example, than liberals.”

I wonder if they also have a defective gene that makes them more receptive to be touched inappropriately in public by really ugly TSA goons.

Conservatives have functioning brains? This IS news indeed.

Interesting. I thought that conservatives thought that way due to significant traces of rat droppings in the brain.

I hope you’re right. But remember…when the incumbent’s party is divided, a fringe candidate, even a kooky one like Palin, has a chance. Examples follow:

1) Jesse Ventura won the governorship in Minnesota against the two major party candidates.
2) Woodrow Wilson, a relative unknown, won the presidency over Taft and Roosevelt (1912).
3) James K. Polk was elected president because Whigs couldn’t unite behind Clay (1844).

bahahahaha! they have brains they just refuse to use them because they think the government is going to tax their fourth house or their trust funds for it!

[...] brainTelegraph.co.ukBrain thickness determines political leaning: studySydney Morning HeraldStudy: Conservatives have larger 'dr&…Raw [...]

Just proves my response a few days back that conservatives are less evolved the liberal leaning humans. More primitive response to outside influences and fantasies of extremism.

…more like conservatives have shit for brains

We already knew that they were led by fear and emotionalism. The trick is to build a governmental system that dissuades those handicapped, (oops, sorry), “optimistically challenged” conservatives from taking over the democratic process with scare tactics and military adventurism. A kind of opposite of the wheelchair ramp, to make it more difficult for paranoid corporatists to enter the halls of government. At least we could make them hold hands and ride the short bus when going to and from congress.

You forgot black people.

I don’t want to rain on everybody’s parade, but, as the researcher pointed out, it is not yet determined which came first. The old chicken vs. egg thing. Maybe these parts of the brain are more or less developed because they are used more or less.

Maybe a airport scanner-like device that scans their brains before entering government buildings and selects the conservatives for further “pat downs”.

Good quirk. I stand corrected. I’m just a kid from Liberty Park. No formal “schoolin” just “street schoolin”. I write like I talk, like we were chatting and enjoying a cup of mud. Picture loud, animated and boisterous. I can’t sound too proper when I’m running my jibs and calling out republicans. I got a reputation to live up to. Oh yeah, you didn’t critique “sonsabitches”. Why?

They could have the cause and effect reversed. Maybe if you spew fear and hate the amygdala grows in response.

Huh, huh, huh!!!
Raw Story 1
Fox 0
GO team go!

This sounds like the Dancing with the Stars outrage. I’m sure the conservatives biased the results illegally somehow. That is the only way to explain that conservatives have larger amygdalas!!!

So don’t seem to understand that having larger amygdalas is not a good thing.

You know that’s just intuitively true. If science proves it, good deal. Meanwhile, I’ll believe it because it has the ring of truth to it.

So I guess this mean Liberals are docile like lambs being led to the slaughter.

Liberals trust that their betters will take care of them, all the while they are just being harvested.

[...] A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals. Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of… [...]

Nice meme! “Conservatives are cowards!”

I’ll be waiting with bated breath for Fox News to run with this story!

You obviously didnt read the article. Liberals have a larger courage center…

You obviously didnt read the article. Liberals have a larger courage center…

You obviously didnt read the article. Liberals have a larger courage center…

Its a endless cycle of fear and reinforcement.

Its a endless cycle of fear and reinforcement.

Its a endless cycle of fear and reinforcement.

“cancervatives”
Thanks, chrislib.
There might never have been a more apt perversion of a name for what the right calls itself.

“cancervatives”
Thanks, chrislib.
There might never have been a more apt perversion of a name for what the right calls itself.

“cancervatives”
Thanks, chrislib.
There might never have been a more apt perversion of a name for what the right calls itself.

[...] liberal brains are structured for courage and optimism. [...]

If you actually know and converse with a typical teabagger conservative, you know that fear of this or that is really their motivation. The fear that was espoused when the fed took over GM. OMG! Ford is next! Obama the socialist! This is what these people live, think and breath. And even if they claim “to be too busy to watch FOX”, FOX is a virus (F1O2X3). It infects those who watch, and they pass on their fear to anyone susceptible. Who we can now apparently scan at the airport and target. Oh, wait, no, I am NOT afraid of airport scans.

If you actually know and converse with a typical teabagger conservative, you know that fear of this or that is really their motivation. The fear that was espoused when the fed took over GM. OMG! Ford is next! Obama the socialist! This is what these people live, think and breath. And even if they claim “to be too busy to watch FOX”, FOX is a virus (F1O2X3). It infects those who watch, and they pass on their fear to anyone susceptible. Who we can now apparently scan at the airport and target. Oh, wait, no, I am NOT afraid of airport scans.

If you actually know and converse with a typical teabagger conservative, you know that fear of this or that is really their motivation. The fear that was espoused when the fed took over GM. OMG! Ford is next! Obama the socialist! This is what these people live, think and breath. And even if they claim “to be too busy to watch FOX”, FOX is a virus (F1O2X3). It infects those who watch, and they pass on their fear to anyone susceptible. Who we can now apparently scan at the airport and target. Oh, wait, no, I am NOT afraid of airport scans.

no news on how huge the the part of the conservative brain is that controls the lying. I guess that would be the remainder. did the test reveal if we could put a chip in em just to calm em down while we tattoo 666 on em?

no news on how huge the the part of the conservative brain is that controls the lying. I guess that would be the remainder. did the test reveal if we could put a chip in em just to calm em down while we tattoo 666 on em?

no news on how huge the the part of the conservative brain is that controls the lying. I guess that would be the remainder. did the test reveal if we could put a chip in em just to calm em down while we tattoo 666 on em?

Sandy: Isn’t bigger always better?

from Wiki: Research using Rorschach test blot 03 finds that the number of ‘‘unique responses’’ to this random figure links to larger sized amygdalae. The researchers note, “Since previous reports have indicated that unique responses were observed at higher frequency in the artistic population than in the nonartistic normal population, this positive correlation suggests that amygdalar enlargement in the normal population might be related to creative mental activity.”

Sandy: Isn’t bigger always better?

from Wiki: Research using Rorschach test blot 03 finds that the number of ‘‘unique responses’’ to this random figure links to larger sized amygdalae. The researchers note, “Since previous reports have indicated that unique responses were observed at higher frequency in the artistic population than in the nonartistic normal population, this positive correlation suggests that amygdalar enlargement in the normal population might be related to creative mental activity.”

Sandy: Isn’t bigger always better?

from Wiki: Research using Rorschach test blot 03 finds that the number of ‘‘unique responses’’ to this random figure links to larger sized amygdalae. The researchers note, “Since previous reports have indicated that unique responses were observed at higher frequency in the artistic population than in the nonartistic normal population, this positive correlation suggests that amygdalar enlargement in the normal population might be related to creative mental activity.”

They were deathly afraid of commies, and now it’s terrorists. And blacks, and gays, and brown people. The only thing Republican politicians have to sell is fear itself. So I don’t exactly find it news that there is a hardwiring defect with so-called conservatives. I can distinguish conservatives from liberals in a line-up; there is a discernible difference in facial expression and tension of the facial musculature that betrays the inner fear and anger. And lack of common decency. I think it was Melvin van Peebles who said of modern Republicans, “It’s like their empathy track didn’t get laid down.”

And this is why they need lots of warm guns to comfort them.

Shutup ya’ wussy! BOO! Did i frighten you? hehehe

yeah it’s called the selfish yellow coward center

I’m sorry that was rude of me . . . OMG! BEHIND YOU!!! IT’S AL QAEDA!!!!!!

My amygdala is very large. Now I know why I can’t bring myself to remove the duct tape from my doors and windows all these years later. Believe me, they are out to get us and I am prepared. I wish I could buy more ammo but my fellow amygalas are hoarding it too.

I don’t think science can tell the difference between a Conservative brain and a Lizard brain.

Lizards believe Fox Fraud News.

Please. They wish they were pussies but they’re just little Dicks.

So that explains why after all these years I can’t bring myself to remove the duct tape from my doors and windows

Let me be the first to say that while I hate conservatives, “At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism. I have no shortage of courage or optimism.

I could cite examples but I don’t want to bore you with my mundane life.
update: Hrmmm i misread the statement. Damn you, alcohol! damn you! I would not consider myself a conservative in any way. So it looks like they got double whacked.

/damn that liberal media!

Haha yes a heightened creative center is necessary to come up with the shit they believe in.

Indeed Republicans are mindless, scared old ladies but they have the guts to fight for what they believe and do everything possible to achieve their political agenda.

On the other hand, Liberals have intellectual honesty & courage but they put their faith & destiny in the hands of a leadership who lacks both……. When are you Liberals, going to get the spine to get rid of these scumbags and rebuild a party worth the label “democratic party”?.

The cowardly dog barks the loudest.

The chicken or egg paradox, or nurture vs nature? This study is quite interesting concerning the amygdala, the center for fight or flight response. In PTSD, the amydala is damaged, and brain chemistry is changed. The real study is about Authortarians, who in raising children, rule with power of fear that demands obedience. Women are treated like second class citizens that must be kept in their place. Children grow up walking on egg shells, and become hyper sensitive to signals that will displease their parents and some sort of punishment, emotional or physical. Children tend to identify with the aggressor or the victim, and when they become the parents, the cycle of abusive parenting is repeated. The sins of the fathers visited upon the children. These types of personalities flock to politics and other power oriented bureaucratic regimes. The brain is quite pliable and capable of learning. Medications dealing with the serotonin neurotransmitter can alleviate the fear. Trouble is authoritarians are prejudiced against any kind of therapy based on a fierce denial system that there is anything wrong with them. Instead they project all their shortcomings onto others, thus, the high level of bigotry and prejudice. Thus we come to another area of the brain of crucial importance. The frontal lobe, the center of judgment and decision making. There are extensive network of wiring between the frontal lobe and the limbic region *(amygdala) Living with fear one’s entire life will damage the brain and one’s orientation and attitudes towards life which are colored by this distortion and dysfunction. If they feel a headache they use a hammer to alleviate the pain, and then blame others for their pain not being cured. Obnoxious personalities on FRAUD news is not an act, but real authoritarians one can study when one can get past the rhetoric of hate. I have met many authoritarians or more commonly called conservative face to face. They can’t be argued with, no amount of evidence will change their minds or positions. They try to overpower and overwhelm arguments with anger, name calling, and other ranting dribble. Their role in life is to oppose any change, and to keep the status quo. That is why for the most part they fear science and the rapid developments going on as a terror, they are helpless to control.
They are slow to adapt to change, and dream endlessly of a return to the past, a simpler and more manageable time, which is a delusion, because life has always been complicated, because people are complicated beings who refuse to be ruled by fear and will fight dearly for freedom.

The chicken or egg paradox, or nurture vs nature? This study is quite interesting concerning the amygdala, the center for fight or flight response. In PTSD, the amydala is damaged, and brain chemistry is changed. The real study is about Authortarians, who in raising children, rule with power of fear that demands obedience. Women are treated like second class citizens that must be kept in their place. Children grow up walking on egg shells, and become hyper sensitive to signals that will displease their parents and some sort of punishment, emotional or physical. Children tend to identify with the aggressor or the victim, and when they become the parents, the cycle of abusive parenting is repeated. The sins of the fathers visited upon the children. These types of personalities flock to politics and other power oriented bureaucratic regimes. The brain is quite pliable and capable of learning. Medications dealing with the serotonin neurotransmitter can alleviate the fear. Trouble is authoritarians are prejudiced against any kind of therapy based on a fierce denial system that there is anything wrong with them. Instead they project all their shortcomings onto others, thus, the high level of bigotry and prejudice. Thus we come to another area of the brain of crucial importance. The frontal lobe, the center of judgment and decision making. There are extensive network of wiring between the frontal lobe and the limbic region *(amygdala) Living with fear one’s entire life will damage the brain and one’s orientation and attitudes towards life which are colored by this distortion and dysfunction. If they feel a headache they use a hammer to alleviate the pain, and then blame others for their pain not being cured. Obnoxious personalities on FRAUD news is not an act, but real authoritarians one can study when one can get past the rhetoric of hate. I have met many authoritarians or more commonly called conservative face to face. They can’t be argued with, no amount of evidence will change their minds or positions. They try to overpower and overwhelm arguments with anger, name calling, and other ranting dribble. Their role in life is to oppose any change, and to keep the status quo. That is why for the most part they fear science and the rapid developments going on as a terror, they are helpless to control.
They are slow to adapt to change, and dream endlessly of a return to the past, a simpler and more manageable time, which is a delusion, because life has always been complicated, because people are complicated beings who refuse to be ruled by fear and will fight dearly for freedom.

Fascinating! No wonder conservatism appeals to our basest instincts. It’s also why it can be easy to sell counterproductive conservative ideology to a mind-numbed and misinformed people. To some extent we are all guilty of and prone to the seven Conservative Deadly Sins: Greed, selfishness, intolerance, vengefulness, tribalism, paranoia and hypocrisy. It takes work and effort – and civilizing – for people to reject them.

Civilization – and liberalism – requires a separation from these primal and benighted tendencies. But conservatism thrives on division, suspicion and antagonism among people, always pulling us backwards.

It’s a battle as old as civilization itself. We are required as a species to struggle against our baser instincts, and to dig deeper to bring out our innate goodness, generosity, helpfulness, nurturing and desire for love – in ourselves, and in others.

Fascinating! No wonder conservatism appeals to our basest instincts. It’s also why it can be easy to sell counterproductive conservative ideology to a mind-numbed and misinformed people. To some extent we are all guilty of and prone to the seven Conservative Deadly Sins: Greed, selfishness, intolerance, vengefulness, tribalism, paranoia and hypocrisy. It takes work and effort – and civilizing – for people to reject them.

Civilization – and liberalism – requires a separation from these primal and benighted tendencies. But conservatism thrives on division, suspicion and antagonism among people, always pulling us backwards.

It’s a battle as old as civilization itself. We are required as a species to struggle against our baser instincts, and to dig deeper to bring out our innate goodness, generosity, helpfulness, nurturing and desire for love – in ourselves, and in others.

You have thte right Brandon, and you can also be sure that the Congress will vote its own interests, and that of its corporate masters first and last. The average net worth of US Representatives is over $900,000. The average net worh of US Senators is $2.5 million. If anyone thinks that these theives are looking out for middle America they are dreaming or dead.

You have thte right Brandon, and you can also be sure that the Congress will vote its own interests, and that of its corporate masters first and last. The average net worth of US Representatives is over $900,000. The average net worh of US Senators is $2.5 million. If anyone thinks that these theives are looking out for middle America they are dreaming or dead.

that’s the problem sending sex energy to the wrong parts of the brain…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnrfuTUlqVs

that’s the problem sending sex energy to the wrong parts of the brain…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnrfuTUlqVs

I always knew conservatism had to be a physiological disease. Those people just aren’t right!

I always knew conservatism had to be a physiological disease. Those people just aren’t right!

authoritarians need certainty and since there is none in nature they become afraid (uncertainty avoidance). denial is part of avoiding the constant fear they feel in a natural world. the irrational need for certainty is explained here, by an alien….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnrfuTUlqVs

authoritarians need certainty and since there is none in nature they become afraid (uncertainty avoidance). denial is part of avoiding the constant fear they feel in a natural world. the irrational need for certainty is explained here, by an alien….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnrfuTUlqVs

I think you might be confusing “guts” with single-minded, ruthless and lawless disregard for principle, common decency and common good. Like I said above, it’s the cowardly dog that barks the loudest.
And our current leader possesses intellectual honesty and quiet courage in spades. No pun intended.

this is what happens when humans load sex energy into the wrong parts of the brain…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnrfuTUlqVs

You are playing with semantics….Republicans are scumbags but they are actually punking democrats and liberals at every stage of the game.

In politics, it is not the intention that counts but what you actually achieve. Your empty suit president and his can of worms, the congress, the senate have achieved nothing to further the Democratic agenda

Now that we know the problem, and have an empirical test, we can add them to the categories of mental disorders.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

* Axis I:
Clinical Disorders, most V-Codes, and conditions that need Clinical attention.
Diagnosis Flow Charts.
* Axis II:
Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation.
* Axis III:
General Medical Conditions.
* Axis IV:
Psychosocial and Environmental Problems.
* Axis V:
Global Assessment of Functioning Scale.

NEW CLASSIFICATION

AXIX VI:
CONSERVATIVE (Un-evolved human, Extremely dangerous. Capable of inflicting catastophic and lasting damage to environment and human race)

Now that we know the problem, and have an empirical test, we can add them to the categories of mental disorders.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

* Axis I:
Clinical Disorders, most V-Codes, and conditions that need Clinical attention.
Diagnosis Flow Charts.
* Axis II:
Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation.
* Axis III:
General Medical Conditions.
* Axis IV:
Psychosocial and Environmental Problems.
* Axis V:
Global Assessment of Functioning Scale.

NEW CLASSIFICATION

AXIX VI:
CONSERVATIVE (Un-evolved human, Extremely dangerous. Capable of inflicting catastophic and lasting damage to environment and human race)

Bullshit. http://wtfhasobamadonesofar.com

add this to the recent FAUX study and you have the headline “watching FAUX makes you scared & stupid”

Are you sure this isn’t an article from The Onion?

Ha ha ha! I’m stealing that from you.

Just more primative!

Actually this study would indicate that the primitives are drawn to the message of Fear News message like a moth to a flame!

Terrified people have no patience with Liberals, because Liberals are “soft on stuff”.

I might have to disagree. My mother civilized me by enticing me with all the things she loved, music, theatre, comedy, animals, books, making stuff, every sort of crazy people, &c., &c. — oh, yeah, and Franklin Roosevelt.

It’s all good, if you aren’t predisposed to assume otherwise.

Obviously xdrcfvgy is a Conservative who enjoys scaring other people to feel superior and suppress his own fears and feelings of inadequacy and is short on reading comprehension skills!

“The chicken or egg paradox” — ceased to be paradoxical long ago, when dinosaur eggs hatched out archaeopteryx. Birds come only from eggs, but eggs come not only from birds.

You know Mr prince of linguistics, I shall happily keep my fair dose of “bullshit” and leave you with your torture president & mass murderer in chief……

It could be that Democrats have too much of a good thing. Will Rogers used to say, “I’m not a member of an organized political party — I’m a Democrat!”

But it could be that the Democrats fail to take their situation seriously to the appropriate level. It could be that they are sleeping dogs, too, while the burglars strip the house clean.

I can see it now. The religious right and the baggers will demand that any candidate running under the GOP label have a brain scan to confirm the size of their amygdalas. Those found lacking in size will be sent to re-education classes to “cure” their short comings!

What the HELL are you talkin about, boy?

Why expose yourself to needless risk?

Aha! You’re a LaRouchian!

They carry themselves about like a Hummer, proud of their skill at quickly scarfing up the advantages.

She will not run for two reasons: 1. There is no money in it. 2. The skeletons in her closet will destroy her image and therefore her ability to make more money!

Will she flirt with running….yes. Actually run…..no F’n way.

Want to get a taste of the skeletons in her closet visit palingatesblogspot.com

Nice catch, but epic fail….I am not even a US citizen Hahaha

You are not the smartest nOOb on the block :)

Well, there is a certain amount of truth in that. A transistor works, you know, because of the “band gap”, the inability of charge carriers (electrons or “holes”) to cross from one side to the other absent an enhancer, which the user can control, a valve in effect. An “unbiased” transistor will not work.

So it is with lies. As Hitler remarked in Ch. 10 of Mein Kampf, people recognize and resist ordinary lies, because they know them first hand: they tell common lies themselves. But if a lie is grandiose enough, the people will always make excuses for it, unable as they are to fathom that such outrageous lying could take place. Goebbels also talked about this phenomenon. It was central to their planning.

So it is with most Democrats, who dismiss the suggestion that 9/11 was an inside job, or OKC, or the murder of Aldo Moro. They struggle with the CIA’s overthrow of Mossadegh, and they don’t want to hear about MKULTRA or Manchurian Candidates.

And so their generosity of spirit (coupled with an unwarranted complacency!) makes them quite vulnerable to the machinations of intelligent psychopaths in positions of great wealth and power.

Well, there is a certain amount of truth in that. A transistor works, you know, because of the “band gap”, the inability of charge carriers (electrons or “holes”) to cross from one side to the other absent an enhancer, which the user can control, a valve in effect. An “unbiased” transistor will not work.

So it is with lies. As Hitler remarked in Ch. 10 of Mein Kampf, people recognize and resist ordinary lies, because they know them first hand: they tell common lies themselves. But if a lie is grandiose enough, the people will always make excuses for it, unable as they are to fathom that such outrageous lying could take place. Goebbels also talked about this phenomenon. It was central to their planning.

So it is with most Democrats, who dismiss the suggestion that 9/11 was an inside job, or OKC, or the murder of Aldo Moro. They struggle with the CIA’s overthrow of Mossadegh, and they don’t want to hear about MKULTRA or Manchurian Candidates.

And so their generosity of spirit (coupled with an unwarranted complacency!) makes them quite vulnerable to the machinations of intelligent psychopaths in positions of great wealth and power.

You are so right. Why would anybody “choose” a conservative “believe style” when a liberal one is there for the taking. Why else would so many poor people advocate and vote for an ideology that seek to destroy them economically??????

“The most pathetic people in the whole world are poor Republicans———-.”
Wayne Morse
Former Senator of Oregon

You are so right. Why would anybody “choose” a conservative “believe style” when a liberal one is there for the taking. Why else would so many poor people advocate and vote for an ideology that seek to destroy them economically??????

“The most pathetic people in the whole world are poor Republicans———-.”
Wayne Morse
Former Senator of Oregon

Including their exaggerated fear of homosexuals.

Including their exaggerated fear of homosexuals.

So where are you from? Ork?

So where are you from? Ork?

“BAD BRAIN – DO NOT USE!” – Young Frankenstein, 1974

“BAD BRAIN – DO NOT USE!” – Young Frankenstein, 1974

Very interesting side light there. Things aren’t simplistic, nor are they black and white. The market for simplistic explanations is inherent in us, but it has been exaggerated by sound-bite media. I went over and read the abstract at the journal Cortex, Amygdalar enlargement associated with unique perception, which suggests that there is a measurable correlation of heightened attention to unusual aspects of a thing, aspects most people don’t notice. This reminds me of a paragraph from Ouspensky’s The Fourth Way:

We must realize that the capacity for remembering oneself is our right. We do not have it, but we can have it; we have all the necessary organs for it, so to speak, but we are not trained, not accustomed to using them. It is necessary to create a certain particular energy or point, using this word in an ordinary sense, and this can be created only at a moment of a serious emotional stress. Everything before that is only preparation of the method. But if you find yourself in a moment of very strong emotional stress and try to remember yourself then, it will remain after the stress is over, and then you will be able to remember yourself. So only with very intense emotion is it possible to create this foundation for self-remembering. But it cannot be done if you do not prepare yourself beforehand. Moments may come, but you will get nothing from them. These emotional moments come from time to time, but we do not use them, because we do not know how to use them. If you try sufficiently hard to remember yourself during a moment of intense emotion, and if the emotional stress is strong enough, it will leave a certain trace, and this will help you to remember yourself in the future.

This of course is a book collected from Q&A sessions from 1921 to 1946, so it is based on no MRIs or such technology. But interesting in its insights. The article at Cortex gives statistical evidence that enlarged amygdala correlates with increased likelihood of observing things missed by the majority.

This does not, however, dismiss the premise of the article we are discussing, that an enlarged amygdala may subject the individual to unjustified attention to things that, perhaps, don’t even exist!

Very interesting side light there. Things aren’t simplistic, nor are they black and white. The market for simplistic explanations is inherent in us, but it has been exaggerated by sound-bite media. I went over and read the abstract at the journal Cortex, Amygdalar enlargement associated with unique perception, which suggests that there is a measurable correlation of heightened attention to unusual aspects of a thing, aspects most people don’t notice. This reminds me of a paragraph from Ouspensky’s The Fourth Way:

We must realize that the capacity for remembering oneself is our right. We do not have it, but we can have it; we have all the necessary organs for it, so to speak, but we are not trained, not accustomed to using them. It is necessary to create a certain particular energy or point, using this word in an ordinary sense, and this can be created only at a moment of a serious emotional stress. Everything before that is only preparation of the method. But if you find yourself in a moment of very strong emotional stress and try to remember yourself then, it will remain after the stress is over, and then you will be able to remember yourself. So only with very intense emotion is it possible to create this foundation for self-remembering. But it cannot be done if you do not prepare yourself beforehand. Moments may come, but you will get nothing from them. These emotional moments come from time to time, but we do not use them, because we do not know how to use them. If you try sufficiently hard to remember yourself during a moment of intense emotion, and if the emotional stress is strong enough, it will leave a certain trace, and this will help you to remember yourself in the future.

This of course is a book collected from Q&A sessions from 1921 to 1946, so it is based on no MRIs or such technology. But interesting in its insights. The article at Cortex gives statistical evidence that enlarged amygdala correlates with increased likelihood of observing things missed by the majority.

This does not, however, dismiss the premise of the article we are discussing, that an enlarged amygdala may subject the individual to unjustified attention to things that, perhaps, don’t even exist!

I seem to remember that the ACG (anterior cingulate gyrus) is the organ responsible for providing the ability to differentiate self from non-self. Thus if atrophied, it may cause paranoid schizophrenia, as in being unable to tell by feel that one’s own thoughts are indeed just that — and not voices from the spirit world, or aliens or such like. Remember that character John Nash, about whom was the movie A Beautiful Mind? He had that problem, and only by force of logic was he able to overcome it. It never stopped seeming like the voices were from outside his head.

Kind of like in color blindness, an organ that is supposed to distinguish red from green just fails.

I seem to remember that the ACG (anterior cingulate gyrus) is the organ responsible for providing the ability to differentiate self from non-self. Thus if atrophied, it may cause paranoid schizophrenia, as in being unable to tell by feel that one’s own thoughts are indeed just that — and not voices from the spirit world, or aliens or such like. Remember that character John Nash, about whom was the movie A Beautiful Mind? He had that problem, and only by force of logic was he able to overcome it. It never stopped seeming like the voices were from outside his head.

Kind of like in color blindness, an organ that is supposed to distinguish red from green just fails.

Sarcasm – look it up. Talk about comprehension skills. . .

Sarcasm – look it up. Talk about comprehension skills. . .

Unviable, yes, but don’t forget, her fans pronounce that as “enviable”.

Unviable, yes, but don’t forget, her fans pronounce that as “enviable”.

As Pogo says, “Youm, that’s whom”

As Pogo says, “Youm, that’s whom”

“A conservative looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for me. A liberal looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for us.”

Boy! There’s a lot in those few words that rings true.

“A conservative looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for me. A liberal looks at an issue and thinks what’s in it for us.”

Boy! There’s a lot in those few words that rings true.

But he didn’t fear to call them out. I wish we had a few more Bernie Sanderses. FDR famous quote:

These economic royalists complain that we seek to overthrow the institutions of America. What they really complain of is that we seek to take away their power. Our allegiance to American institutions requires the overthrow of this kind of power.

But he didn’t fear to call them out. I wish we had a few more Bernie Sanderses. FDR famous quote:

These economic royalists complain that we seek to overthrow the institutions of America. What they really complain of is that we seek to take away their power. Our allegiance to American institutions requires the overthrow of this kind of power.

Everyone should see that masterpiece by Adam Curtis.

Everyone should see that masterpiece by Adam Curtis.

The smaller ACG may have even more to do with it.

The smaller ACG may have even more to do with it.

So, it is confirmed.

All conservatives are members of Slytherin House.

“Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.”

While liberals are members of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

So, it is confirmed.

All conservatives are members of Slytherin House.

“Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.”

While liberals are members of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

Something else I just thought of in the shower: notice how the GOP acts in lock-step, and the Dems are all over the road? The GOP are herd animals, the Dems are porkypines. Herd animals are such because they know that a lone grazer is dead meat, but in the center of the herd, there is the safety of many hooves.

Conformity — Puritanical conformity enforced to the letter with towering opprobrium (in public that is; in private, all bets are off)

Something else I just thought of in the shower: notice how the GOP acts in lock-step, and the Dems are all over the road? The GOP are herd animals, the Dems are porkypines. Herd animals are such because they know that a lone grazer is dead meat, but in the center of the herd, there is the safety of many hooves.

Conformity — Puritanical conformity enforced to the letter with towering opprobrium (in public that is; in private, all bets are off)

Why doesn’t the findings of this study surprise me?

Why doesn’t the findings of this study surprise me?

It’s a good thing that you are a generalist which pretty much means nothing. I was abused physically & emotionally between when I was 12-18 yo. I left my family for that reason. You really should learn more about PTSD.

It’s a good thing that you are a generalist which pretty much means nothing. I was abused physically & emotionally between when I was 12-18 yo. I left my family for that reason. You really should learn more about PTSD.

Thats why Faux uses Hate and Fear to round up their sheep. Nazis used fear to scare its people before it started World War 2. The Tea Party people fear change and fear a non-white guy in the white house.

Thats why Faux uses Hate and Fear to round up their sheep. Nazis used fear to scare its people before it started World War 2. The Tea Party people fear change and fear a non-white guy in the white house.

Well, that explains Fox News:

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/comics/this_modern_world/2010/08/31/this_modern_world/story.jpg

Well, that explains Fox News:

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/comics/this_modern_world/2010/08/31/this_modern_world/story.jpg

“when I was 12-18 yo”

Too old! You had already formed your worldview model BEFORE you were abused.

This is talking about toddlers and infants, they do not yet have a worldview and are quite suceptible to input from parental figures.

“when I was 12-18 yo”

Too old! You had already formed your worldview model BEFORE you were abused.

This is talking about toddlers and infants, they do not yet have a worldview and are quite suceptible to input from parental figures.

Let’s see, larger amygdalas, smaller anterior cingulate – this would have a noticeable effect on Republican voters head shape and facial expression:
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4/doooosh/microcephaly.jpg

Let’s see, larger amygdalas, smaller anterior cingulate – this would have a noticeable effect on Republican voters head shape and facial expression:
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e4/doooosh/microcephaly.jpg

Perhaps the abuse of stereotypes is yet another symptom.

Are you REALLY so primitive that you think there are only two categories of people?

Perhaps the abuse of stereotypes is yet another symptom.

Are you REALLY so primitive that you think there are only two categories of people?

“who dismiss the suggestion that 9/11 was an inside job”

Wow it looks like another defective one has been revealed!

Look again at the miserable LACK of logic or thought!

You can see that there is not even any consideration of the concept that sane normal people (and our legal system) require some sort of proof, and don’t just accept rumors as gospel truth!

“who dismiss the suggestion that 9/11 was an inside job”

Wow it looks like another defective one has been revealed!

Look again at the miserable LACK of logic or thought!

You can see that there is not even any consideration of the concept that sane normal people (and our legal system) require some sort of proof, and don’t just accept rumors as gospel truth!

Everybody knows that if you use parts of your brain a lot, they get bigger. Take scientists, for instance:
http://i1040.photobucket.com/albums/b410/stillafool/0015bb12.jpg

A bunch of sickening right wing cowards. As if we didn’t know this already? LOL

A bunch of sickening right wing cowards. As if we didn’t know this already? LOL

Exactly!

Exactly!

….and a snake crawls on it’s belly…. C’mon Raw, tell us something that EVERYBODY does not already know. Jeez.

….and a snake crawls on it’s belly…. C’mon Raw, tell us something that EVERYBODY does not already know. Jeez.

Simply further medical/biololgical proof why conservatives cannot be allowed in government positions. They are paranoid and delusional and need treatment and medication, not elections

Simply further medical/biololgical proof why conservatives cannot be allowed in government positions. They are paranoid and delusional and need treatment and medication, not elections

The perpetually scared shyytless party, wets it’s pants at the thought of making even tiny cuts in defense. They are terrified of that big EVIL world, out to get THEM!!!!

The perpetually scared shyytless party, wets it’s pants at the thought of making even tiny cuts in defense. They are terrified of that big EVIL world, out to get THEM!!!!

[...] http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/conservatives-fear-center-brain/ [...]

that’s the nicest way of calling those cowards out I’ve ever seen.

that’s the nicest way of calling those cowards out I’ve ever seen.

that’s the best laugh I’ve had in weeks.

that’s the best laugh I’ve had in weeks.

So, their fear center is larger than those of liberals. Obviously makes up for their “SHORT CUMMINGS” in other areas.

So, their fear center is larger than those of liberals. Obviously makes up for their “SHORT CUMMINGS” in other areas.

[...] study findsThe GuardianBrain shape of conservatives is different to liberalsDigitalJournal.comRaw Storyall 49 news [...]

Yes, most of their neocortex, too.

Yes, most of their neocortex, too.

Yes, most of their neocortex, too.

Yes, most of their neocortex, too.

What other than being limp-wristed pantywaists would cause coward and deserter Bush and draft-dodger Cheney to attack two helpless countries?

What other than being limp-wristed pantywaists would cause coward and deserter Bush and draft-dodger Cheney to attack two helpless countries?

What other than being limp-wristed pantywaists would cause coward and deserter Bush and draft-dodger Cheney to attack two helpless countries?

No that is simple conservative BS. Liberals have no shortage on courage, and I will tell you, as an apparent conservative, to kiss my ass. Liberals have compassion for the Earth and other living things. Other than loving your MONEY, WTF do conservatives do to justify their existance?? nothing

No that is simple conservative BS. Liberals have no shortage on courage, and I will tell you, as an apparent conservative, to kiss my ass. Liberals have compassion for the Earth and other living things. Other than loving your MONEY, WTF do conservatives do to justify their existance?? nothing

No that is simple conservative BS. Liberals have no shortage on courage, and I will tell you, as an apparent conservative, to kiss my ass. Liberals have compassion for the Earth and other living things. Other than loving your MONEY, WTF do conservatives do to justify their existance?? nothing

No that is simple conservative BS. Liberals have no shortage on courage, and I will tell you, as an apparent conservative, to kiss my ass. Liberals have compassion for the Earth and other living things. Other than loving your MONEY, WTF do conservatives do to justify their existance?? nothing

Dont expect too much intellect from conservatives frantaylor. They have a limited intellectual capacity. And only LOVE MONEY.

Dont expect too much intellect from conservatives frantaylor. They have a limited intellectual capacity. And only LOVE MONEY.

Dont expect too much intellect from conservatives frantaylor. They have a limited intellectual capacity. And only LOVE MONEY.

And compassion. And want to share equal rights, and not deprive others of the rights they themselves enjoy. In other words, liberals deserve to exist. Conservatives do not.

And compassion. And want to share equal rights, and not deprive others of the rights they themselves enjoy. In other words, liberals deserve to exist. Conservatives do not.

And compassion. And want to share equal rights, and not deprive others of the rights they themselves enjoy. In other words, liberals deserve to exist. Conservatives do not.

And compassion. And want to share equal rights, and not deprive others of the rights they themselves enjoy. In other words, liberals deserve to exist. Conservatives do not.

Likely latent homosexuality too.

Likely latent homosexuality too.

Likely latent homosexuality too.

Likely latent homosexuality too.

And it must help with Republican conservative amnesia. They all forgot, the next day, the crimes of George Bush and his cronies… amazing

And it must help with Republican conservative amnesia. They all forgot, the next day, the crimes of George Bush and his cronies… amazing

And it must help with Republican conservative amnesia. They all forgot, the next day, the crimes of George Bush and his cronies… amazing

And it must help with Republican conservative amnesia. They all forgot, the next day, the crimes of George Bush and his cronies… amazing

[...] brains of liberals. Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. [Read more] Posted in: Politics, Science ← Solar mystery LikeBe the first to like [...]

[...] We could of course leave it at that but even this has to be politicised. [...]

Being easily manipulated by fear surely makes one more sheep-like, more likely to walk lock-step with their party, as we see occur most frequently with the GOP and their fearful base.

Risilience to fear and increased courage are not hallmarks of docility, but I’m sure you’ll find a way to convince yourself that up is down and war is peace, regardless of the evidence to suggest otherwise.

Being easily manipulated by fear surely makes one more sheep-like, more likely to walk lock-step with their party, as we see occur most frequently with the GOP and their fearful base.

Risilience to fear and increased courage are not hallmarks of docility, but I’m sure you’ll find a way to convince yourself that up is down and war is peace, regardless of the evidence to suggest otherwise.

Being easily manipulated by fear surely makes one more sheep-like, more likely to walk lock-step with their party, as we see occur most frequently with the GOP and their fearful base.

Risilience to fear and increased courage are not hallmarks of docility, but I’m sure you’ll find a way to convince yourself that up is down and war is peace, regardless of the evidence to suggest otherwise.

Being easily manipulated by fear surely makes one more sheep-like, more likely to walk lock-step with their party, as we see occur most frequently with the GOP and their fearful base.

Risilience to fear and increased courage are not hallmarks of docility, but I’m sure you’ll find a way to convince yourself that up is down and war is peace, regardless of the evidence to suggest otherwise.

Friends don’t let friends drink and post

FINALY! now we can cancel voting and just give anyone who does not support the democrats brain surgery or large doses of forced medication.

the “progressives” on this site should be proud of your views..

p.s. anyone who posted anything similar to my sarcastic view above, im sorry but you are a disgrace to democracy and if you lived in germany in the 1920′s 30′s you most likely would have been a nazi

Republicans have almost destroyed satire by being too ridiculous to top with satire.

if political views are mental disorders cancel all democracy. and stand by your genetic predisposition to be the ruling class.

[...] brains to be frightful of all kinds of shit, and are unable to feel safe. From the Telegraph (h/t Raw Story): Scientists have found that people with conservative views have brains with larger amygdalas, [...]

While I can certainly understand the part about the huge fear-centres, I don’t quite understand the part about small optimism centres. After all, they are only ‘worst-casing’ the effects of what others might do to them, they seldom seems to consider the worst-case scenarios of their own actions.

you would make an excellent nazi.
next we just have to see which populations have genetic proclivities to the political views you have a genetic proclivity to think right and just install them as the decision makers while forcing all others in to manual labor and force sterilization, and then we will have a great democratic state

obama signed in to law the largest defense[sic] spending bill ever

[...] knew that science would figure this out [...]

But oddly enough, working class cons don’t seem to fear America turning into a corporate dictatorship. Now that is something that (a)very scary and (b)actually happening at this present time.

Who would have guessed that Conservaturds are frightened little children who need “leaders” to “protect” them. That is why they also like one-liner talking points. There is very little there to work with.

I am sorry for your abuse and believe me when I tell you I am no stranger to being abused as a child. My father was a raging alcoholic and authoritarian, that is why I know so much about them. I became an alcoholic my self, but I was sober 10 years, slipped, and then got sober while being homeless for 2 years. I am now sober for 20 years. I attended Adult Children of Alcoholics for 11 years trying to undo the damage of an abused childhood. I blamed my father for everything that went wrong with me. Until years later, I had to forgive my father, despite of my obsession to blame him. I made peace with him before he died, and he died with 35 years of sobriety. He was many things, a prison guard for 5 years, a state politician who worked behind the scenes of power, and he died in his 70′s, 75% blind from 3 strokes. He died also as a disabled veteran from World War 2
I also know a lot about PTSD, being a victim of a violent crime that happened to me 20 years ago while homeless , attacked by a gang and I nearly lost my life. I still have symptoms today.

I do not use the word generalist lightly! I started my education as an electronics engineer, moved on to be a photographer, an artist, and musician. I have been cursed with an insatiable curiosity, that made knowledge more important than accumulating wealth. My education did not stop after 7 years of college, but has continued in all directions especially the sciences and the arts, for the last 40 years. I call myself a generalist because I want to know everything, or the big picture which is an impossible task, because all knowledge doubles every decade. I say all this, because there is a future for people who have been abused, and can transcend their past with therapy or 12 step groups to embrace the present and the future. I wish the best for you in all your endeavors.

Is it largest in amount or largest in percent of the budget or largest in % of GDP? There are differences.

So then you think that all of the stuff that America’s involved in would have been better handled by McCain/Palin?

Obama is trying to hold this country accountable. Link to accounts of torture since he took office. Link to where the world view of America is at an all time low since he took office. Link to where heads of state are turning their back on Obama since he took office. As a matter of fact, just yesterday the HuffPo had this up: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/28/karzai-golden-age-bush-years_n_801712.html

So Karzai, installed by Bush, misses those palettes of money he was being served, is basically how that breaks down.

We’re on a better course than we were, and he’s thinking globally. It’s been two years. You make him out to be a monster. I hope your outrage was this profound in 2002.

It’s not that I don’t understand your frustration, but this nation was blown far off course by George W. Bush, and we’re not going to be re-routed over night. We’re trying, and that’s more than can be said of the last administration who told us that history would be our judge.

Well, that’s a fucked up standard to take.

Conservatives also are more sensitive to disgust and avoidance. I wonder if this is related to the fear findings. The difficulty is that we are taking a current political division and turning it into a personality profile, and then looking for brain correlates. It is hard enough to establish clear links between brain correlates and more basic cognitions.

In a related study, it was also found that conservitives brains were made up of mostly cement.

In a related study, it was also found that conservitives brains were made up of mostly cement.

Does this mean that wingnuts don’t have a choice about being homophobic bigots? Maybe they should be banned from marriage and military service.

Does this mean that wingnuts don’t have a choice about being homophobic bigots? Maybe they should be banned from marriage and military service.

J: Good one. I liked it. I remember turning to my bff when I was 13 and saying, “I hate these conservatives, what creeps.” I have never changed my mind and stand by my first perception of repubs. conservs, teabaggers, right wingers, evangelicals. Yes, their ‘brains’ are teeny, tiny, wired for weirdness, and made of ‘cement’.

J: Good one. I liked it. I remember turning to my bff when I was 13 and saying, “I hate these conservatives, what creeps.” I have never changed my mind and stand by my first perception of repubs. conservs, teabaggers, right wingers, evangelicals. Yes, their ‘brains’ are teeny, tiny, wired for weirdness, and made of ‘cement’.

Hey C’mon there !!! Cement is useful.

Hey C’mon there !!! Cement is useful.

725 billion dollar for one year not including an emergency supplemental for the wars or the 200 billion added to the start treaty to build new nuclear weapons manufacturing plants, or homeland security[sic] or intelligence agencies or foreign military aid for the proxies war in pakistan yemen Somalia

725 billion dollar for one year not including an emergency supplemental for the wars or the 200 billion added to the start treaty to build new nuclear weapons manufacturing plants, or homeland security[sic] or intelligence agencies or foreign military aid for the proxies war in pakistan yemen Somalia

Their built in sadism?

Their built in sadism?

the average comment on this article is sicking, be careful what you wish for.

the average comment on this article is sicking, be careful what you wish for.

Largest as in Dick Cheney saying his is bigger than yours.

Largest as in Dick Cheney saying his is bigger than yours.

You can read? amazing

You can read? amazing

i can also form ideas and think about the consequences of linking people’s political views to their genetics
or maybe i just have some mental disorder that make me think im doing so when in fact i need medical intervention so that my thought will be more in line with political mainstream

p.s. im not a conservative i am somewhere between a socialist and communist although both labels have been rendered almost useless nowadays

In the old days fascists used to measure the widths of peoples’ noses and look at the colour of their skin before classing them as second class citizens. Now the ‘liberals’ appear to have found a much more scientific method of establishing their own superiority.

Famous moments in conservative history…
Slavery – conservatives in the South supported and fought for it.
Womens right to vote – conservatives fought against it.
Civil rights movent – conservatives fought it.
Women’s movement – conservatives fought it again.
Choice movement – you got it, conservatives up to their dirty tricks again.
Gay rights – yup again, these same evil minded folks work their ill will as they have done throughout history.

I wonder why these black hearted, souless people make it their business to deprive others of rights they already enjoy. And most of these evil people are Republican. Not a coincidence.

…”Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain”..

Yeah, it’s called “FAUX NEWS” Center.

Psychoconservatives are also 155 times more likely to have sex with dead animals, according to a study I read last year.

One evening, a grandfather was teaching his young grandson about the internal battle that each person faces.
‘There are two wolves struggling inside each of us,’ the old man said.

‘One wolf is vengefulness, anger, resentment, self-pity, fear, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance.

The other wolf is love, joy, peace, generosity, kindness, friendship, compassion, faithfulness, hope, truth.’

The grandson sat, thinking, then asked: ‘Which wolf wins, Grandfather?’

His grandfather replied, ‘The one you feed.’ – Cherokee fable

fear wolf=amygdala, love wolf=anterior cingulate

I would put this study right up there with phrenology in the 19th century. Utterly useless, but amusing.

like spelling?

In the US, lets start examing the brains of Kissinger, McConell, Boehner, Kyl, Palin, Sean Hannity, Rupert Murdock, Glenn Beck, Bill Oreilly, Eric Holder, Janet Napolitano, Michael Hayden, Doug Feith, George Bush, CHENEY, Rice, Hilary/Bill Clinton, Lanny Davis, Netanyaho, Leiberman, Orin Hatch, Joe Biden, all the Rockefellers, Queen of England, Tony Bliar, well you get the point.

For 30 years, Limbaugh and his mindless apers, have been claiming liberalism, was a mental disorder. They have reapeatedly, intimated violence and death as solutions. Un-evolved sub human is not a political view, and threatening violence, as your first and most used political tool, is not a democratic political system.

Well then it appears certain that you cannot read. The study made no mention of genetics. DUH dude.

Why is it useless?

Sorry dude, I made a mistake…and I have lost the ability to edit any comment, or I would. Would be nice if Raw Story WEB master answered my inquiry as to why I lost that ability….

you use the term conservative as a pejorative, and lump any one who has a wrong view as conservative, when in fact if you looked at the views of the people who fought against the list of injustices you present many would fall in to the current use of the category of conservative.

“But evidence is beginning to accumulate that figuring out a person’s political proclivities may soon be as simple as a brain scan — or a DNA test.”

you were saying something about my reading ability?

“Appearing in the latest edition of The Journal of Politics published by Cambridge University Press, the research focused on 2,000 subjects from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. By matching genetic information with maps of the subjects’ social networks, the researchers were able to show that people with a specific variant of the DRD4 gene were more likely to be liberal as adults, but only if they had an active social life in adolescence.”

“They also questioned a further 90 students, who had already been scanned for other studies, about their political views.
The results, which will be published next year, back up a study that showed that some people were born with a “Liberal Gene” that makes people more likely to seek out less conventional political views.
The gene, a neurotransmitter in the brain called DRD4, could even be stimulated by the novelty value of radical opinions, claimed the researchers at the University of California”

and your reading ability must be some kind of superhuman ability since the actual study has not been released yet so you cannot actually know what is written in it,

p.s. im not to impressed with a scientific study with a total test group of 90 people.

yeah, and the wingnuts still hate his guts.

Nope. Just sent to Alabama to be part of the short bus “special community.”

Seems pretty accurate to me, especially looking at the members of conservative party in the UK.
And I totally agree with Colin Firth on having Nick Clegg scanned.
But more worrying are the brains; or lack of them, of the would be presidents of the United States.
Sarah Palin should be scanned to reveal her dark secrets and devious intentions for sure! Assuming she has a brain of course.
Beermatman
http://www.beermatsadvertising.com

It is meant to be a perjorative term against them. The fact remains that it has been conservatives who have stood in the way of human progress…not only in the USA but other nations as well and throughout history. Shall I congratulate them for shackling human progress? Maybe you should. I will not.

should you maybe check the methodology before you rip into a study? I happen to agree with it however I will await its findings being confirmed

It’s a no brainer. Ba’boompf!
Thank you very much. I’m here all week.

***

Edit: But seriously folks, there have been numerous studies on conservatives/authoritarians that support the notion that this mindset is genetic. Such as…

Authoritarianism revisited: genetic and environmental influences examined in twins reared apart and together

Kathryn McCourt, , Thomas J. BouchardJr. , David T. Lykken, Auke Tellegen and Margaret Keyes
Department of Social Sciences, Marylhurst University, 17600 Pacific Highway, Marylhurst, OR 97036, USA
Received 29 July 1998; revised 1 December 1998; accepted 12 January 1999. Available online 28 July 1999.

Abstract
Historically, authoritarian attitudes have been attributed to influences within the rearing environment, based on the incorrect assumption that similarity between family members demonstrates cultural transmission. To unconfound environmental and genetic influences, this paper examines right-wing authoritarianism [RWA; Altemeyer, B. (1981). Right-wing authoritarianism. Winnipeg: University of Ottowa; Altemeyer, B. (1988). Enemies of freedom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers] employing data from 39 monozygotic and 38 dizygotic adult reared apart twin pairs and 423 monozygotic and 434 dizygotic adult reared together twin pairs. Genetic factors accounted for about 50% and unshared environment for 35% of the phenotypic variance; either common environment or assortative mating could explain the remaining reliable variance. Similarity in cognitive ability did not underlie the twin correlations on authoritarianism. Purportedly relevant environmental variables from the Moos and Moos Family Environmental Scale (FES), the Block Environment Questionnaire (BEQ) and the MISTRA life history were associated with RWA scores for individuals reared by biological relatives; among adoptees, however, these variables are unrelated to RWA scores.

Perhaps not so far fetched. An article in The Journal of Psychohistory opined an early difference in children between those who like where they are and don’t like to take the risks of new experiences and kids who like to try new things may be early indicators between what eventually become conservatives and liberals. This would go along with enhanced conservative’s fear centers. Then again, I could be wrong.

that’s totally shocking information … i didn’t even think they had a brain, and i already know they don’t have a conscience

Are you afraid?

after an idea has been accepted it becomes conservative to hold it, so ideas such as political liberty and democracy when battling against newer ideas become conservative.
if you can’t even understand something so simple i doubt you have any grasp on the meaning of a far more complex idea like progress.
and i am fully in support of radical equality of all human beings something this article if applied in full would undermine.

“you use the term conservative as a pejorative, and lump any one who has a wrong view as conservative…”

“wrong” would be accurate.

[...] of wingnuts and their issues, via Raw Story — “Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain“: A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains [...]

[...] of wingnuts and their issues, via Raw Story — “Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain“: A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains [...]

Here’s what I don’t like about this article: it says that conservatives have larger amygdalas. Then it says that larger amygdalas are associated with fear and primitive emotions. Who found that? Did they find that out in this study? Hard to say. Then I read that larger amygdalas are also associated with greater creativity. So maybe this study is saying that conservatives are more creative with fear (WMDs, smoking gun, mushroom cloud, Constitution just a piece of paper). In the past I have read that women have larger amygdalas that is why they have higher fashion sense. I also think I read that gay people have larger amygdalas. So I don’t like this article but I would like to.

Here’s what I don’t like about this article: it says that conservatives have larger amygdalas. Then it says that larger amygdalas are associated with fear and primitive emotions. Who found that? Did they find that out in this study? Hard to say. Then I read that larger amygdalas are also associated with greater creativity. So maybe this study is saying that conservatives are more creative with fear (WMDs, smoking gun, mushroom cloud, Constitution just a piece of paper). In the past I have read that women have larger amygdalas that is why they have higher fashion sense. I also think I read that gay people have larger amygdalas. So I don’t like this article but I would like to.

I wonder how this correlates with studies of how the brain developed in people who were abused as children.

you say it’s like phrenology based on what? what do you mean? you mean you believe it’s not actually a scientific study, and that they faked their research? what is your evidence? what are you talking about?

You are contradicting yourself.

Typical conservative arrogance operating here,eh? What do you mean by “radical equality?” Sounds seditious to me.

elaboration please?

Please! This is merely separate but equal. Moreover, power-obsessed, money-mad, morality-abscessed conservatives will never be 2nd class citizens. It’s everyone else that has to worry about that denigration when conservatives are around. Heil!

i am not a fucking conservative!

‘Sounds seditious to me.”
GOOD! because liberals are sounding more and more like Fascist to me.

You think that you’re elevating this discussion somehow? Please explain.

To envision oneself as intrinsic to a herd has to be a more serious act of psychological self mutilation. And to devise studies and arrive at ‘scientifical’ conclusions brings forth memories of Dr. Mengele himself listening to the primal screams from tortured twins in his castle overlooking the Danube. The mere existence of newscasters like George Stephanopolus and Wolf Blitzer deify and reinforce this notion on a corporate scale blaring their ‘news’ trumpets to haze their respective herds in ever more feckless auguries.

This animist propaganda invented by Goebbels and refined by Murdock has its appeal nevertheless, it is easily observable to the least scientific among us and disseminated and consumed like fresh corn in the holding pens at the corner feedlot. When science and particularly medicine make any claims to accuracy regarding the human brain, or any brain for that matter, I am reminded of the current great and obscenely profitable practice of “pain management” one that has an endless list of practitioners in the yellow pages and boasts of ten distinct levels of pain observable in any human and easily divined by subjective utterance. This is all of course another of the American Medical Association’s well protected frauds, not at all unlike derivatives trading with souls on the opioid market. But it pays the bills and reduces the staff levels over there at GTMO in the water boarding unit.

If you consider that the brain’s activities consist of electric impulses at a cellular level that weave one of the most complex sensory circuitries in the universe, the vanity of predicting its cumulative individual behavior becomes impossible in groups. Granted, there is a certain otherworldliness to this drivel, but how else can you explain the universal gratitude that many of us consciously, and many subconsciously as well, feel in knowing that Newt Gengrich does not have a twin.

Hey! Your no Bickle!!

HAHAHAHa….uuh, oh your serious?!

Why do you assume that genetics operate here? Experience is another possible factor.

i would, but doing so might be seditious.

A DNA test might pick up gene amplification in response to stress.

You’re scary!

Thats a good point. But, I think that 95% of the people posting here ARE just that primitive. All you have to do is read the comments about conservatives.

Is that a problem for you?

You think Obama is a liberal? You ARE a troll!

I think Jimmy Carter figured that one out.

[...] details are here and [...]

This makes sense and doesn’t surprise me. For another very interesting look into enlightening studies on conservatives and what motivates them and why, John Dean’s book, “Conservatives Without Conscience” is outstanding and very informative.

when i see you make the same observation to the “conservative” comments thats when i’ll think your comment is credible

short sample of “conservative” comments

“Rep. Kucinich mulls Census options”
the hill – comments

>>> Hey Dennis-are you going to “debate” when you actually acquire any common sense or a functioning brain?
BY the rifleman

>>> BTW Dennis-I personally hope you and your fellow commie idiotress Betty Sutton end up running against each other. Talk about a kookfest. Dennis, what you gonna do when Bettys union thugs come for you? And whats Betty going to do, throw some of those clunkers from her failed “cash for clunkers” program at you? The blind(Sutton) leading the stupid(kookie)
BY the rifleman

>>> Rep. Kucinich, pay no heed to the radical fascists commenting above. They have zero credibility supporting the likes of regressive racists like the incoming speaker and his leadership team. They prefer their corporate buddies keep all the cash while homeless people live on the streets.
BY Smurmary on 12/28/2010 at 19:10

>>> And we personally hope you are one of them…SMURMARY
Rep. Kucinich, pay no heed to the radical fascists commenting above. They have zero credibility supporting the likes of regressive racists like the incoming speaker and his leadership team. They prefer their corporate buddies keep all the cash while homeless people live on the streets. BY SMURMARY on 12/28/2010 at 19:10
BY SemperFiFl

>>> Buh, bye, Dennis.. Too bad we can’t redistrict that other useless example of liberal lawmaking. Are you listening there Sherrod? You’re next. Baby steps.
BY nancysbiggestfan on 12/28/2010 at 20:17

>>> At least the wife is hot.
BY Curmudgeon10 on 12/28/2010 at 20:22

>>> Sorry, progressives, but you race card has expired…
Time to face issues and reality…
BY Cowboy on 12/28/2010 at 22:27

the average comment on the conservative sites are as bad or worse

because it said so in the article as well as in all the links provided.

Better safe than sorry.

That difference between you and bickle2 is that bickle2 is joking and you’re not. Such venom!

That difference between you and bickle2 is that bickle2 is joking and you’re not. Such venom!

Fear can be legitimately argued to be the opposite of love. The implications of this are obvious. When we are fearful we are not acting out of love, and love is the primary objective we should all seek to fulfill. If a conservative (or anyone) has an overabundance of fear, this will affect how they see others, the world, and life in general. It will also affect how they choose public policy, philosophy, and who they vote for. I wonder if fear can be counteracted through volition. The world has lots of hate, war and destruction, and these things are fear-based, far as I can tell.

Fear can be legitimately argued to be the opposite of love. The implications of this are obvious. When we are fearful we are not acting out of love, and love is the primary objective we should all seek to fulfill. If a conservative (or anyone) has an overabundance of fear, this will affect how they see others, the world, and life in general. It will also affect how they choose public policy, philosophy, and who they vote for. I wonder if fear can be counteracted through volition. The world has lots of hate, war and destruction, and these things are fear-based, far as I can tell.

conservatives are the ones who think that jetfuel can melt steel, and turn concrete (cement) to dust…!

conservatives are the ones who think that jetfuel can melt steel, and turn concrete (cement) to dust…!

Neuroplasticity doesn’t apply?

Neuroplasticity doesn’t apply?

Are these professed or perceived liberals and conservatives?

Are these professed or perceived liberals and conservatives?

[...] Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain | Raw Story. Posted by Robert on Tuesday, December 28th, 2010. Filed under World News. You can follow any [...]

[...] the results of invading Iraq), but yes, I’d say that on the whole, the conservatives I know seem to be real bedwetters: Political opinions are considered choices, and in Western democracies the right to choose [...]

“…it says that conservatives have larger amygdalas. Then it says that larger amygdalas are associated with fear and primitive emotions. Who found that? Did they find that out in this study? Hard to say.”

It says nothing of the sort. Read it again: “A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals. Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.” It only states that the amygdala is associated with fear and emotion, not a larger one. An intelligent person, with critical reading capabilities, would therefore extrapolate that while we all possess this organ, those who possess a larger amygdala would have a greater capacity for fear-based and primitive emotional behavior. Accordingly, those who possess a smaller anterior cingulate would have a lesser capacity for courageous and optimistic behavior.

And it isn’t hard to say whether this study also concluded what the basic function of the amygdala is, because it didn’t, nor does it claim to; most educated people know that research on the brain and its constituent organs has been conducted for the last century. Obviously you aren’t capable of extracting the salient points of this article, because you haven’t even read the text correctly.

“As early as 1888, rhesus monkeys with a lesioned temporal cortex (including the amygdala) were observed to have significant social and emotional deficits.” (Wikipedia).

I know how to find background data; why don’t you? Is it necessary to re-research every physiological fact simply because you were unaware of it prior to reading an article like this? Did you have to re-invent the wheel when you learned how to drive? Maybe this will give you a ballpark idea of how long neurologists have been conducting this kind of brain research. Time to find the page the rest of us are on.

Your post merely illustrates just how badly our educational system is failing us…

“…it says that conservatives have larger amygdalas. Then it says that larger amygdalas are associated with fear and primitive emotions. Who found that? Did they find that out in this study? Hard to say.”

It says nothing of the sort. Read it again: “A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals. Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.” It only states that the amygdala is associated with fear and emotion, not a larger one. An intelligent person, with critical reading capabilities, would therefore extrapolate that while we all possess this organ, those who possess a larger amygdala would have a greater capacity for fear-based and primitive emotional behavior. Accordingly, those who possess a smaller anterior cingulate would have a lesser capacity for courageous and optimistic behavior.

And it isn’t hard to say whether this study also concluded what the basic function of the amygdala is, because it didn’t, nor does it claim to; most educated people know that research on the brain and its constituent organs has been conducted for the last century. Obviously you aren’t capable of extracting the salient points of this article, because you haven’t even read the text correctly.

“As early as 1888, rhesus monkeys with a lesioned temporal cortex (including the amygdala) were observed to have significant social and emotional deficits.” (Wikipedia).

I know how to find background data; why don’t you? Is it necessary to re-research every physiological fact simply because you were unaware of it prior to reading an article like this? Did you have to re-invent the wheel when you learned how to drive? Maybe this will give you a ballpark idea of how long neurologists have been conducting this kind of brain research. Time to find the page the rest of us are on.

Your post merely illustrates just how badly our educational system is failing us…

If this study proves to be true and correct and the methodologies of the study stand up to peer review, IMHO it would explain a great deal indeed, both from a contemporary standpoint and from an historical perspective.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

Recovering Authoritarian

If this study proves to be true and correct and the methodologies of the study stand up to peer review, IMHO it would explain a great deal indeed, both from a contemporary standpoint and from an historical perspective.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

Recovering Authoritarian

You’re attacking drivel with drivel? Please, aim for clarity!

You’re attacking drivel with drivel? Please, aim for clarity!

im glad to see you hold yourself up to the high standards of idiot internet trolls,
there are conservative ideologies
there are conservative political parties with specific platforms
and there is the pejorative conservative that seems to mean an idiot.
i would argue with the first two i have no need to bother with the third.
for much the same reason i don’t spend my time on prozionist websites.

im glad to see you hold yourself up to the high standards of idiot internet trolls,
there are conservative ideologies
there are conservative political parties with specific platforms
and there is the pejorative conservative that seems to mean an idiot.
i would argue with the first two i have no need to bother with the third.
for much the same reason i don’t spend my time on prozionist websites.

“Now the ‘liberals’ appear to have found a much more scientific method of establishing their own superiority.”

Not really; conservatives have been helping to establish liberal superiority for the last 20 years. Take all the rope you need…

“Now the ‘liberals’ appear to have found a much more scientific method of establishing their own superiority.”

Not really; conservatives have been helping to establish liberal superiority for the last 20 years. Take all the rope you need…

To anyone just coming out of a coma, maybe…

To anyone just coming out of a coma, maybe…

“….I am not even a US citizen Hahaha.”

No wonder you don’t know what you’re talking about…

“….I am not even a US citizen Hahaha.”

No wonder you don’t know what you’re talking about…

From my understanding, the fear center in conservatives that is being referred to actually looks like a hemorrhoid.

From my understanding, the fear center in conservatives that is being referred to actually looks like a hemorrhoid.

Since conservative behavior is the direct result a genetic variance that leads to abnormally large amygdalas, resulting in obsessive fear – which in turn diminishes their judgment and cognitive abilities: shouldn’t conservatives then be treated as other individuals with cognitive disabilities and denied the right to vote?

Since conservative behavior is the direct result a genetic variance that leads to abnormally large amygdalas, resulting in obsessive fear – which in turn diminishes their judgment and cognitive abilities: shouldn’t conservatives then be treated as other individuals with cognitive disabilities and denied the right to vote?

So conservatives fear tyranny and are willing to fight it, while liberals roll over like doormats?

What a laugh.

So conservatives fear tyranny and are willing to fight it, while liberals roll over like doormats?

What a laugh.

Read it again I think you missed something!

Read it again I think you missed something!

Is that why Hannity has such a huge forehead?

Is that why Hannity has such a huge forehead?

Is that why Hannity has such a huge forehead?

Is that why Hannity has such a huge forehead?

Is that why Hannity has such a huge forehead?

Taking your analysis a step further it’s possible that they are going got gain that dreaded “protected class status” as now they should qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Taking your analysis a step further it’s possible that they are going got gain that dreaded “protected class status” as now they should qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Taking your analysis a step further it’s possible that they are going got gain that dreaded “protected class status” as now they should qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Taking your analysis a step further it’s possible that they are going got gain that dreaded “protected class status” as now they should qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The most amazing finding about this study is that conservatives even have brains!

Who knew?

The most amazing finding about this study is that conservatives even have brains!

Who knew?

The most amazing finding about this study is that conservatives even have brains!

Who knew?

**I’ve long held the belief that there was a fundamental difference between conservatives and liberals, and thought it was centered in the balls. I see I was right.

After reading this study :”he Dick” Cheney declaired that these deficits don’t matter either!

Of course he missed something. He needs the remedial version. Typical.

Yes, conservatives fear tyranny. And they’re willing to send others to fight it. In fact, they fear tyranny everywhere they look. They’re so fearful of it, they’re more than willing to kill innocent people to stop it, even if it is only in their imagination.

Yeah, that FDR sure rolled over like a doormat in the face of tyranny.

[...] interestingly enough, from the school that produced all of the members of the band Coldplay, and includes these findings: …conservatives’ brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals. Amygdalas [...]

[...] the members of the band Coldplay, and includes these findings: …conservatives’ brains have larger amygdalas [...]

No surprise, but the problem is the dominant ultra-loud ultra-conservative media / political voice getting national attention speaking for all-that-is-conservative.
Is it a larger fear center that maybe a cause for conservative silence ???

Dueling studies are out right now, very interesting indeed. We ran a similar story yesterday about the same portion of the brain. The size of the “Amygdala” also directly connects to how social you are. According to these studies conservatives are fearful but social creatures.

http://www.doubledutchpolitics.com/2010/12/amygdala-study-brain-size-tied-to-social-life/

Well, whadaya know! A nice slow hanger right over da plate. Muchas gracias, Señora!

” require some sort of proof” — there are many shelves full of proof, but you’ll never look at it, because you have a vested interest in the official lie. Yes, official lie. “All governments lie….” to quote the great journalist I. F. Stone.

What other government lies do you buy into, complacent one?

How about the one that even the leading Democrat Thom Hartmann refuses (de facto) to stop repeating, that the Red Brigades were responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. I personally have heard two callers on his show inform him of the truth of the matter, (which he always promises to look into, but never does), which is abundantly proven on three one-hour documentaries from the reputable BBC, called Gladio: The Ringmasters, Part 2:The Puppeteers, and Part 3: The Footsoldiers, the truth being that the many bombings blamed on that Leftist group were conceived and carried out by Fascist groups, in particular the Propaganda Due masonic lodge under the leadership of Licio Gelli, under the direct supervision of CIA and MI6, under what is called the “Strategy of Tension”, the purpose of which is to get the people to huddle around the skirts of the State for protection, as described by Vincenzo Vinciguardi from his prison cell to the BBC.

If you accept that the CIA and the powers that lead NATO were behind these crimes, why do you reject out of hand the possibility that 9/11 was also their work?

Or if you reject that Gladio story, how can you claim to be interested in “proof”? For reference, the foremost authority on what actually happened amid the Strategia della Tensione in Italy and all of Europe during those years is Prof. Dr. Daniele Ganser, Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. See his book, NATO’s Secret Armies: Operation GLADIO and Terrorism in Western Europe (Contemporary Security Studies)

Proof, indeed! You’ve obviously done every possible thing to avoid coming in contact with the proof, and no doubt will continue to do so.

I studied at the feet of William F. Buckley, Jr. I may be his illegitimate grandson…

You realize that had he lived he would be 117 next June? Time is so merciful.

[...] Via Raw Story, A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives’ brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals. Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other “primitive” emotions. At the same time, conservatives’ brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate — the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism. [...]

Glenn Beck’s amygdala must be huge. All that “primitive emotion” he enjoys unleashing.

[...] [...]

It would be interesting to have a conversation with you…but impossible here. Best New Year wishes.

It would be interesting to have a conversation with you…but impossible here. Best New Year wishes.

It would be interesting to have a conversation with you…but impossible here. Best New Year wishes.

Interesting to take your point a step further and draw religious implications as well. Many conservatives claim to practice Christianity, but now we understand that they are biologically predisposed to fear. If love, peace, acceptance are antithetical to fear, then how can a conservative be a practicing Christian?

Interesting to take your point a step further and draw religious implications as well. Many conservatives claim to practice Christianity, but now we understand that they are biologically predisposed to fear. If love, peace, acceptance are antithetical to fear, then how can a conservative be a practicing Christian?

Interesting to take your point a step further and draw religious implications as well. Many conservatives claim to practice Christianity, but now we understand that they are biologically predisposed to fear. If love, peace, acceptance are antithetical to fear, then how can a conservative be a practicing Christian?

Gosh, I wonder what your political leaning would be…

Gosh, I wonder what your political leaning would be…

Gosh, I wonder what your political leaning would be…

[...] KNEW that homophobia was an organic-issue??!!! Quote: "Political opinions are considered choices, and in Western democracies the [...]

I hope Mr. Buckley was wearing boots at the time. Also, I agree with you, you certainly are illegitimate! Again, clarity! Pleeease!

I hope Mr. Buckley was wearing boots at the time. Also, I agree with you, you certainly are illegitimate! Again, clarity! Pleeease!

I hope Mr. Buckley was wearing boots at the time. Also, I agree with you, you certainly are illegitimate! Again, clarity! Pleeease!

proving once and for all that biologically truthers share the same brains as conservatives.

Oh goody! You don’t fuck!

Now, be nice! You plutocrat-loving propagandist! Stop acting like your idea of a liberal!

No more perfect representation of this study is to observe the sociopaths Dick Cheney and Lizzy Cheney, two of the most fearful terrified, while cowardly, people on the planet.

Too hard for you, eh?

I suggest you take a piss on somebody else playground….The last thing you want is to get punked by a 21 yr old chick, on a public forum

How nice of you to admit the severe limitations of your knowledge! Have you ever met a genuine scientist, much less learn any science? Don’t worry, your honest admission of ignorance has gained you full forgiveness for darkening counsel by words without knowledge.

Somebody botched your surgery real bad! Quick! Find another surgeon!

[...] READ MORE… Trackback URL [...]

Yeah and Wilson and Truman were pussies too!

Anyone not familiar with Bob Altemeyer’s work on the Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and the RWA Scale owes it to themselves and society at large to learn about this important field. This field of sociology was started after WWII in an effort to understand how a Nazi Germany could come to be. I.e., how could a citizenry allow Nazi Germany and its attendant destruction of all things civil?

These brain studies are pointing to interesting correlates with the body of sociological/socio-behavioral work on Authoritarianism.

Regarding the fears expressed here that this could lead to Social Darwinism against conservatives, I think that fear is misplaced if one considers that Social Darwinism/Eugenics has traditionally (no pun intended) been the purview of Right Wing Authoritarians.

That said, one of the take aways from Altemeyer’s work is that Authoritarianism, like most things in life, is a matter of degree. I.e., we are all authoritarians to some degree or other. It is the high-degree right-wing authoritarians that we truly have to watch out for… they can and will destroy this planet if we let them.

See http://www.theauthoritarians.com/

I think the study is saying that Convervatives are easily lead by irrational fear and allows that fear to take over rational thought. By using irrational fear a Conservative leader could control those who rely on base emotions instead of cerebral thought. Then that conservative leader could have hundreds of minions to act as a mob and attack like a feral dog. I wouldn’t consider a feral dog brave but I would consider it dangerous.

See when you say “fear tyranny and willing to fight it” the problem becomes that some concervatives don’t know what tyranny is and believes the charlatans that say “death panels” is tyranny. Or those who shout “I want the government to keep their hands off my medicare” without realizing medicare is a government run program. Or those who allow their irrational racial fear and shout that President Obama born in Kenya or the planet Xenon.

Just sayin’

Why don’t we just compromise on “Chickenshits”.

Why don’t we just compromise on “Chickenshits”.

thanks peace man.

thanks peace man.

no im just not going to waste my time, but thanks for the input.

no im just not going to waste my time, but thanks for the input.

how elevating…

how elevating…

That didn’t really answer my question.

wow you really seem bitter…

i think liberals voted for him.

maybe you have an overdeveloped amygdala and instead of responding i should point out that you have no brain and are unfit for any political discussion, so that i might elevate the discussion.

peace!

Excellent!!!!!
When Sir Bertrand Russell wrote the following I believe he was talking mostly about conservatives?
“Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth — more than ruin — more even than death…. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.”

Bertrand Russell

speaking of arrogance…

have a great day and try not to be too bitter.

Defense as % of GDP:

WWII : 34.05%
2000: 2.9%
2009: 4.5%
2010: 4.7%
2011: 4.7%

http://washingtonindependent.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/DODGDP.jpg

So, definitely not largest in % of GDP.

Possibly it’s the largest in terms of sheer size, but don’t forget the country as a whole is making more money now that it was 30 years ago. Statistics can be manipulated if you don’t look at them critically.

What, like herd animals? Sheeple? lol

bufftrucker’s response is dead-on, but I’d like to add a few points:

Specifically, the monkeys bufftrucker mentioned showed a pronounced lack of fear in response to unconditioned stimuli such as snakes, which causes much fear in wild-type (healthy) monkeys.

Also, while I’ve not gone through all the comments, it was interesting that the article did not mention the anterior cingulate cortex’s role in emotional modulation. Reduced volume in the ACC – which, among its many other functions, helps to dampen fear signals from the amygdala – suggests that individuals with relatively a relatively smaller ACC may have greater difficulty exerting “top-down” control over said fear signals. Oh, and the ACC is highly interconnected with the amygdala. Food for thought…

So why won’t they volunteer their sons and daughters? Hardly anybody of means are fighting in the two stupid wars going on right now.
BTW. Conservatives also fear thought.
“Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.”
Sir Bertrand Russell

Yes, because your mother was clearly a very evolved and civilized woman – much more in tune with her inner goodness and the higher aspirations of humans.

The best of us really can’t understand the primitive instincts of many people. But even the best of us have moments when we, too, devolve.

never mind…
“just because the defense budget is a larger dollar amount, doesn’t mean that it’s more, or that the military is larger.”
i don’t know how to respond to that, what military in the history of the world had such a large base structure, much of it funded through host nation support. and all the additional expenses that are not included in military budget.

And here’s the proof saying it’s not the largest in % of the total budget either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Defense_Spending_-_%25_to_Outlays.png

So, this means your statement is misleading in that while it may be “the largest” (and I haven’t verified that fact yet) it certainly isn’t the most proportional.

This isn’t even taking into account inflation.

Ex: If a candy bar cost 20 cents in 1950, and little kids spent 70% of their allowance of two dollars on candy bars, they bought 7 candy bars for $1.40. Today, a kid getting an allowance of ten dollars who spend 20% of their allowance on candy bars that cost $1.00 only bought 2 candy bars. Yes, today’s kid spent more on their candy than the kid 60 years ago, but not proportionally to their income and they didn’t buy more candy either

So just because the defense budget is a larger dollar amount, doesn’t mean that it’s more, or that the military is larger.

I never said that. I think our military is WAY to big.

I didn’t say that. I think our military is WAY too big.

Dangit Disqus! When I hit reply, post as a reply, not a comment!

The research is b u l l s h i t. Even the principle investigator of the research project stated; “….because the study was carried out only on adults, there is no way to tell what came first – the brain differences or the political opinions”. It was done on only 90 students and does not show any data to support the conclusions. It does not take into account the millions of people who freely change their political beliefs during their lifetime. For example, there are many people who start out life voting for a liberal political agenda because in my opinion they are idealistic and naive. As they grow older and wiser through experience, many become more conservative in their thinking; especially those who start their own businesses and quickly learn that liberals who support increased taxation and restrictive business laws are not their friends. BTW, “fear and other primitive emotions” which you claim conservatives have more of, are what helped the human race survive. Ever hear of the “fight or flight” response? I believe that many liberals are self destructive and delusional in their thinking. For example, there are many who believe in open borders, no military, increased taxes and social programs, communism, etc. All of those beliefs are arguably destructive to a nation’s security and to the freedom of its citizens. Also, the part about conservatives having less courage and optimism is obviously ridiculous. It is the conservatives who are optimistic and courageous enough to believe that we can fight the war on terrorism, secure our borders, help our economy grow and create jobs through hard work and innovation. Liberals have a gloom and doom outlook of our nation (USA) and want to fundamentally change it. I have heard many liberals state that they will actually leave the country if a conservative president is elected or conservative agenda is supported by Congress. Some liberals think that if we just leave the terrorists alone they will stop their murderous ways. They think our enemies will love us if we only give them more food and money and other forms of charity. They want the government to “redistribute” wealth so that we are all equal. Sorry, the government is not your mommy. They tried that approach in the Soviet Union and we all know how that worked out.

The research is b u l l s h i t. Even the principle investigator of the research project stated; “….because the study was carried out only on adults, there is no way to tell what came first – the brain differences or the political opinions”. It was done on only 90 students and does not show any data to support the conclusions. It does not take into account the millions of people who freely change their political beliefs during their lifetime. For example, there are many people who start out life voting for a liberal political agenda because in my opinion they are idealistic and naive. As they grow older and wiser through experience, many become more conservative in their thinking; especially those who start their own businesses and quickly learn that liberals who support increased taxation and restrictive business laws are not their friends. BTW, “fear and other primitive emotions” which you claim conservatives have more of, are what helped the human race survive. Ever hear of the “fight or flight” response? I believe that many liberals are self destructive and delusional in their thinking. For example, there are many who believe in open borders, no military, increased taxes and social programs, communism, etc. All of those beliefs are arguably destructive to a nation’s security and to the freedom of its citizens. Also, the part about conservatives having less courage and optimism is obviously ridiculous. It is the conservatives who are optimistic and courageous enough to believe that we can fight the war on terrorism, secure our borders, help our economy grow and create jobs through hard work and innovation. Liberals have a gloom and doom outlook of our nation (USA) and want to fundamentally change it. I have heard many liberals state that they will actually leave the country if a conservative president is elected or conservative agenda is supported by Congress. Some liberals think that if we just leave the terrorists alone they will stop their murderous ways. They think our enemies will love us if we only give them more food and money and other forms of charity. They want the government to “redistribute” wealth so that we are all equal. Sorry, the government is not your mommy. They tried that approach in the Soviet Union and we all know how that worked out.

[...] Posted on December 29, 2010 by Moe| Leave a comment This headline at Raw Story brings us to a study conducted at University College London in the UK. Here’s the [...]

Dean’s work was based on research by Bob Altemeyer on Right Wing Authoritarianism. It is important that we continue to study this field/phenomenon and learn how to prevent it and ameliorate its worst consequences if we are to have any hope of a prosperous and vital future for this biosphere we call planet Earth.

Education and a commitment to the pursuit of knowledge wherever it leads us is paramount. The know-nothingness that is so in vogue today does not bode well for our Democracy in the U.S. Many cling to uninformed opinion as articles of faith, unchallengeable by new information/facts. That is a good test of whether you are dealing with a reasonable person or an authoritarian… a) whether or not they will/can perform basic objective research on any given topic, and b) whether they will change their position based on new information, regardless if it challenges their personal convictions or not.

This brain research is interesting and I look forward to further understanding of the nature vs. nurture components to the conservative brain.

Altemeyer’s et al’s work points to a significant environmental component in the genesis of a conservative mind. Some conditions appear to be: being raised in an insular/authoritarian family without much external contact; exposure outside the family being mostly a faith-based community; little travel; and minimal education.

Authoritarians are very much social creatures, but they tend to only expose themselves to their in-group where their received wisdom/beliefs remain unchallenged and re-enforced.

Dean’s work was based on research by Bob Altemeyer on Right Wing Authoritarianism. It is important that we continue to study this field/phenomenon and learn how to prevent it and ameliorate its worst consequences if we are to have any hope of a prosperous and vital future for this biosphere we call planet Earth.

Education and a commitment to the pursuit of knowledge wherever it leads us is paramount. The know-nothingness that is so in vogue today does not bode well for our Democracy in the U.S. Many cling to uninformed opinion as articles of faith, unchallengeable by new information/facts. That is a good test of whether you are dealing with a reasonable person or an authoritarian… a) whether or not they will/can perform basic objective research on any given topic, and b) whether they will change their position based on new information, regardless if it challenges their personal convictions or not.

This brain research is interesting and I look forward to further understanding of the nature vs. nurture components to the conservative brain.

Altemeyer’s et al’s work points to a significant environmental component in the genesis of a conservative mind. Some conditions appear to be: being raised in an insular/authoritarian family without much external contact; exposure outside the family being mostly a faith-based community; little travel; and minimal education.

Authoritarians are very much social creatures, but they tend to only expose themselves to their in-group where their received wisdom/beliefs remain unchallenged and re-enforced.

Spoken like a man with a giant amygdala.

Spoken like a man with a giant amygdala.

And proudly so. Ok smart guy, how about you argue my points rather than attack me? You obviouslly just accepted the so called “research” without question.

And proudly so. Ok smart guy, how about you argue my points rather than attack me? You obviouslly just accepted the so called “research” without question.

[...] Raw Story, an abstract on the report from October showing a difference in genetic makeup between liberals and [...]

Interesting. I imagine the teabagging/gop are going to claim this isn’t true, but keep in mind they believed in the WMD and that Hussein was involved with bin Laden.

This explains the fear mongering and the paranoia coming from that group.

Some war is based on pure greed. Some public policies are based on pure greed. An overabundance of greed is fueled by pure selfishness. The greedy don’t act out of fear, they act out of love for more money at anyone else’s expense.

LoL! I don’t to need to read this rubbish to know what’s going on here so I won’t waste my time with this “study”.

First of all if one is going to make a study like this then they need to educate themselves on the political spectrum. Politics is NOT a Black Vs White, Red Vs Blue, Orange Vs Purple thing.

When they say “Conservative” are they referring to REAL Conservatives the like of Minarchists, Anarchists and Agorists etc.?

When the say “Liberals” are they referring to REAL Liberals the like of Fascists, Socialists and Communists etc.?

Without knowing what the True Political Spectrum really is and asking the correct questions based on the situation and issues at hand then the study itself is flawed from the word go and so are those that have participated in the “study”.

Without going too much into it here is a simple way to know the political spectrum.

[Left, More Government] Scientific Dictatorship (New World Order Human slaves from Cradle to Grave) Communism (China, Russia), Socialism, (Nazism) Fascism, Democracy, Republic of Democratic laws (Original US Government) Libertarianism, Minarchism, (Social and Economic Freedom) Agorism, Voluntaryism, Anarchism (Wild West Everyone for themselves)[Right, Less Government]

Go ahead try and attack me and this post.

“Great minds talk about issues, Average minds talk about events, small minds talk about people”

Molon Labe~!

Something isn’t working right with my posts, they were supposed to be responses.

LoL! I don’t to need to read this rubbish to know what’s going on here so I won’t waste my time with this “study”.

First of all if one is going to make a study like this then they need to educate themselves on the political spectrum. Politics is NOT a Black Vs White, Red Vs Blue, Orange Vs Purple thing.

When they say “Conservative” are they referring to REAL Conservatives the like of Minarchists, Anarchists and Agorists etc.?

When the say “Liberals” are they referring to REAL Liberals the like of Fascists, Socialists and Communists etc.?

Without knowing what the True Political Spectrum really is and asking the correct questions based on the situation and issues at hand then the study itself is flawed from the word go and so are those that have participated in the “study”.

Without going too much into it here is a simple way to know the political spectrum.

[Left, More Government] Scientific Dictatorship (New World Order Human slaves from Cradle to Grave) Communism (China, Russia), Socialism, (Nazism) Fascism, Democracy, Republic of Democratic laws (Original US Government) Libertarianism, Minarchism, (Social and Economic Freedom) Agorism, Voluntaryism, Anarchism (Wild West Everyone for themselves)[Right, Less Government]

Go ahead try and attack me and this post.

“Great minds talk about issues, Average minds talk about events, small minds talk about people”

Molon Labe~!

If liberals will leave the country if a conservative is elected, let’s get a conservative elected…

Funny because the lolTea Party is full of Leftists. Those that started the wars are also Leftists. No wonders this “study” is nonsense, people don’t understand politics worth a damn!

Amen! I knew if in his first sentence.

Just remember they were always bringing up alQaeda and WMD and 9/11 until the workers were getting sick and dying and then they ignored them.

This was in response to A Real American2 to his response to Johnny who has a giant amygdala.

[...] COLPA DELL’AMIGDALA - Uno studio condotto alla University College of London in Gran Bretagna ha trovato che “i cervelli di chi si [...]

Then I’ll say it Whatever_happened_to_courtesy. Our military IS way too big. We have military posted in areas like Japan (the war ended 65 years ago guys) and over another 150 countries where we are not at war with, or were in the middle 20th century.

Time to bring the military home from many of those countries and bring down our federal budget.

But then you have to explain why liberals are terrified of a nuclear holocaust, or of climate change and conservatives are impervious.
I don’t think conservatives are more prone to fear — they are more prone to bullying and cruelty. But perhaps these are also determined by the size of the amygdalla.

True Rick which explains why cheney keeps running to the hospital, and has become the bionic man.

I thought they were the same. Ever meet a Liberal Truther?

I thought it took up all of his brain.

Good point about avarice, perhaps the source of greed is sometimes fear? Fear of death, fear of being seen as a ‘failure,’ or inferior, fear of failing to live up to inflated expectations placed on us by hyper-capitalism’s relentless pressure to compete and ‘succeed’? Perhaps fear that if we don’t get rich, it means that ‘God’ doesn’t love us. Not sure.

When was the last time an Anarchist or Libertarian tried to bully you? Just wondering =)

They do flock together like birds of a feather.

I thought it was because they didn’t want to be laughed at by the rest of us.

Meaning they have no brain?

So what are your assertions based on? Nothing but conservative unadulterated propaganda coming out of over 100 right wing think thanks that do nothing spread fear.
It has been liberalism that has saved us many many times.

Moron Labia, your idiocy is absolutely jaw-dropping. To categorize fascism as “liberal big government” is about as moronic as contending that an Hummer qualifies as a green hybrid, because they have electric cigarette lighters. Like all conservatives, you are a retarded dipshit who can’t abide facts/logic.

Johnny- If I had the time I could write a book on the gulliblity of your post. You mentioned the conservatives line of redisrtubution of wealth. In the last 30 years, the average income on the middle class was stagnant. When inflation and cost of living is added in the average income went down. The average income for the richest went up over 500% over the last 30 years. There has been a redistibution of wealth. And because of people like you who fought against taxes on the rich and corporations, the wealth went to the top 1%.

Back in the 50′s and 60′s. The wealthy paid a marginal tax on income between 74% to 91%. Because of this most corporatist invested the money back into their company and paid their employees a better wage. Plus, those evil institutions faought for the rights of their workers.
Because of people like you, who believed the lobbyists like Grover Nordquist, Haley Barbour, Dick Armey and the rest, taxes on the richest 1% were dramatically cut. jobs were sent over seas where they have no labor laws, child labor laws, workman compensation, or the right to a livable wage.

Since the conservatives only promise is tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts it may sadden you to find out that under the fiscally consevatives (Reagan, Bush and Bush) the middle class taxes went up 9 times. The only time you received any tax relief was under Obama (That damn socialist- cuttin the taxes of the middle class!!).

You rail on “social programs” but before medicare over 50% of the elderly lived in poverty and died because lack of medical care because they couldn’t afford it. Who fought for medicare? Liberals. Who fought against it? Conservatives. Maybe you heard the record of Ronny Reagan stating that medicare was going to lead us down the “road of Communism.”

Before Social Security, millions of the elderly lived in poverty. Social Security was set up to act as a supplement so the elderly would not live in poverty. Who fought for SS? liberals. Who fought against it? Conservatives. Why- because it would lead us down the “road of communism.”
And before you start railing about the problems of these programs, fixing them is very easy. Remove the income caps. Right now taxing for these programs are capped at 94,000 for Medicare and 106,000 for SS. Remove the caps for the walthy and now these programs have the funds. (Oh, that’s right, taxing the wealthy is wealth redistrebution and will lead us down the road to communism.

I could go on but it is tiresome to discuss realties with tea party members who fight against their own well being. As the saying goes, johnny, “You can have your own opinion, but you cannot have your own facts.”

The reason why the country is in dire straits are “conservatives” like you believe the lobbyist who being paid by the rich to convince you what is really in your best interest is actually bad for you.

Excellent question.

this study is off the mark.

actually sex on the wrong brain is what happened: humans evolved in a natural environment with no certainty. things were fine until ‘civilization’ and larger populations required humans to delay the age of reproduction. the later the acceptable age of marriage, the more the masturbation.

by default that usually happened with the tool and hammer hand, the right hand. the more repressive the culture/religion the more masturbating went on. unfortunately the right hand is connected to the left logical /mathematical side of the brain where sex energy is satisfied in terms of certitude and magnitude (greed). the left hand is the hand connected to the creative orgasmic side of the brain. hence the conservative mind, in which studies show a common need to avoid uncertainty (need certainty). uncertainty causes fear in proportion to the need for certainty and since there is no certainty it must be created- hence more organized religion and all the denial of reality that comes with it. the amygdala actually reacts to uncertaity and fear and evolved as a half-way station or distribution depot for excess sex energy so that it can be stored and injected as needed into the creative right side to make up and rationalize the denial of reality that is needed to create certainty in a natural environment and reduce the fear. the pleasure centers get some of that energy at the same time and that’s the pleasure that absolute certainty brings, even when completely fucking wrong. you can see the you tube explaining this at: alien sex ed for humans.

I don’t think that’s true. I’ve learned from experience that the teabagging/gop are bullies who bully in a group. Hence the KKK, who wear those dunce hats and makes and bed sheets.

They are basically cowards if they don’t have their fellow bullies with them.

@ Johnny,

First off, this is a growing area of research… this is not the only study of its kind. There are other brain studies mapping the differences between the liberal and conservative minds. There are also sociological studies pursuing this difference. While it is way too early to pinpoint causality, the results so far are clear… there are marked differences between the two brains/minds. And right-wing authoritarianism accounts for much of what we see from conservatives these days. Look it up. See also new research into brain plasticity to understand how one’s beliefs can actually physically change one’s brain. It makes sense.

Regarding your conservative manifesto, have you ever considered that your belief system might not paint a complete and accurate picture of reality?

As one who has taken the opposite path (from conservatism to liberalism) I take issue with your logic (or lack of it). Selective reasoning and inconsistency being my main issue with conservatism. A real conservative would be fighting tooth and nail to protect this biosphere we and others call home. Instead, all too often we see conservatives, with their blinkered world-view, only fighting for their short-term self interest. They fail to realize that taking a longer view is the only sane approach. And that their long-term self interest actually encompasses others’ interests as well. As many conservatives are also members of faith-based communities, they would do well to study their articles of faith which often speak directly against the pursuit of one’s short-term self interest.

Ever hear of evolution? As far as we know, evolution is a fact, not a theory. Why do you suppose conservatives would choose to disavow this commonly acknowledged fact? Answer: because it fundamentally challenges their faith-based world view. You see faith and science are fundamentally different. One seeks to explain the world with unchallengeable received wisdom, while the other seeks to understand the world through challengeable open inquiry. You seem to invoke evolution in your defense of fear as a behavioral fitness for individual and species survival. I doubt anyone would argue with you about that, but by the same token, is it possible that humans would outgrow their dependence on a fear-based society? Is it possible that that which gave us an advantage at one point in our evolutionary path could become a liability at a later point on our path?

Regarding your indoctrination into the church of anti-communism, are you aware that all the examples that you would hold up as failures of communism were in fact right-wing authoritarian states? And just because we have yet to see the next phase of socio-economic self organization does not mean it will not or can’t exist.

This is where things get interesting… because your beliefs actually matter. You create the world you live in through your beliefs. And if you only cherry pick your beliefs, similar to how the Bush administration cheery picked the evidence for WMDs in Iraq, then you can end up being very wrong and creating a dystopian world.

@ Johnny,

First off, this is a growing area of research… this is not the only study of its kind. There are other brain studies mapping the differences between the liberal and conservative minds. There are also sociological studies pursuing this difference. While it is way too early to pinpoint causality, the results so far are clear… there are marked differences between the two brains/minds. And right-wing authoritarianism accounts for much of what we see from conservatives these days. Look it up. See also new research into brain plasticity to understand how one’s beliefs can actually physically change one’s brain. It makes sense.

Regarding your conservative manifesto, have you ever considered that your belief system might not paint a complete and accurate picture of reality?

As one who has taken the opposite path (from conservatism to liberalism) I take issue with your logic (or lack of it). Selective reasoning and inconsistency being my main issue with conservatism. A real conservative would be fighting tooth and nail to protect this biosphere we and others call home. Instead, all too often we see conservatives, with their blinkered world-view, only fighting for their short-term self interest. They fail to realize that taking a longer view is the only sane approach. And that their long-term self interest actually encompasses others’ interests as well. As many conservatives are also members of faith-based communities, they would do well to study their articles of faith which often speak directly against the pursuit of one’s short-term self interest.

Ever hear of evolution? As far as we know, evolution is a fact, not a theory. Why do you suppose conservatives would choose to disavow this commonly acknowledged fact? Answer: because it fundamentally challenges their faith-based world view. You see faith and science are fundamentally different. One seeks to explain the world with unchallengeable received wisdom, while the other seeks to understand the world through challengeable open inquiry. You seem to invoke evolution in your defense of fear as a behavioral fitness for individual and species survival. I doubt anyone would argue with you about that, but by the same token, is it possible that humans would outgrow their dependence on a fear-based society? Is it possible that that which gave us an advantage at one point in our evolutionary path could become a liability at a later point on our path?

Regarding your indoctrination into the church of anti-communism, are you aware that all the examples that you would hold up as failures of communism were in fact right-wing authoritarian states? And just because we have yet to see the next phase of socio-economic self organization does not mean it will not or can’t exist.

This is where things get interesting… because your beliefs actually matter. You create the world you live in through your beliefs. And if you only cherry pick your beliefs, similar to how the Bush administration cheery picked the evidence for WMDs in Iraq, then you can end up being very wrong and creating a dystopian world.

Because they love to pound on their chests, but when faced with danger, or resistance by an individual or a very small group of people they don’t like, they run, especially if they don’t have a large group of their buddies with them.

Because they love to pound on their chests, but when faced with danger, or resistance by an individual or a very small group of people they don’t like, they run, especially if they don’t have a large group of their buddies with them.

They also like to call the President a Muslim because they know if they call him the “N” word decent people would be crying racist. Especially the teabagging/gop in the MSM.

They also like to call the President a Muslim because they know if they call him the “N” word decent people would be crying racist. Especially the teabagging/gop in the MSM.

Hey fella, stop using as put down, derogatory, sexist slang that supposedly describes female sexual anatomy . It’s misogynist and part of the “conservative” far right thinking about women and power.

Hey fella, stop using as put down, derogatory, sexist slang that supposedly describes female sexual anatomy . It’s misogynist and part of the “conservative” far right thinking about women and power.

“… they can and will destroy this planet if we let them.”

So will the leftist authoritarians / totalitarians and the religious extremists. Sorry pal, history overwhelmingly shows that it is the left wing / communists and socialists and now Islamic terrorists that the world should fear most. You want to talk about the millions of people slaughtered in the name of social equality in Russia and China? Or the millions who had their religious and political beliefs suppressed because they did not fit with what was dictated by their leftist communist leaders? Liberals do not like to admit it; however Hitler, besides having an aggressive military agenda was also a socialist. Just because he used force to achieve his goals it does not diminish his fundamental beliefs. Yes, even socialists can be violent. The same goes with fascism. Sure, there were conservatives factions but you cannot ignore the evidence of liberal and socialist influence either. BTW, I think BF Skinner’s research in conditioning and human behavior is much more relevant to the modern world than the attempt by Bob Altemeyer to stereotype and place people in a box labled “right-wing authoritarian”.

“… they can and will destroy this planet if we let them.”

So will the leftist authoritarians / totalitarians and the religious extremists. Sorry pal, history overwhelmingly shows that it is the left wing / communists and socialists and now Islamic terrorists that the world should fear most. You want to talk about the millions of people slaughtered in the name of social equality in Russia and China? Or the millions who had their religious and political beliefs suppressed because they did not fit with what was dictated by their leftist communist leaders? Liberals do not like to admit it; however Hitler, besides having an aggressive military agenda was also a socialist. Just because he used force to achieve his goals it does not diminish his fundamental beliefs. Yes, even socialists can be violent. The same goes with fascism. Sure, there were conservatives factions but you cannot ignore the evidence of liberal and socialist influence either. BTW, I think BF Skinner’s research in conditioning and human behavior is much more relevant to the modern world than the attempt by Bob Altemeyer to stereotype and place people in a box labled “right-wing authoritarian”.

And also denied the privilege of serving politically and in a government that they claim to hate and disparage.

And also denied the privilege of serving politically and in a government that they claim to hate and disparage.

Spoken like a true conservative–always monitoring superiority and who is “in control”.

Spoken like a true conservative–always monitoring superiority and who is “in control”.

this study is off the mark.

actually sex on the wrong brain is what happened: humans evolved in a natural environment with no certainty. things were fine until ‘civilization’ and larger populations required humans to delay the age of reproduction. the later the acceptable age of marriage, the more the masturbation. by default that usually happened with the tool and hammer hand, the right hand. the more repressive the culture/religion the more masturbating went on. unfortunately the right hand is connected to the left logical /mathematical side of the brain where sex energy is satisfied in terms of certitude and magnitude (greed). the left hand is the hand connected to the creative orgasmic side of the brain. hence the conservative mind, in which studies show a common need to avoid uncertainty (need certainty). uncertainty causes fear in proportion to the need for certainty and since there is no certainty it must be created- hence more organized religion and all the denial of reality that comes with it. the amygdala actually reacts to uncertaity and fear and evolved as a half-way station or distribution depot for excess sex energy so that it can be stored and injected as needed into the creative right side to make up and rationalize the denial of reality that is needed to create certainty in a natural environment and reduce the fear. the pleasure centers get some of that energy at the same time and that’s the pleasure that absolute certainty brings, even when completely fucking wrong. you can see the you tube explaining this at: alien sex ed for humans.

this study is off the mark.

actually sex on the wrong brain is what happened: humans evolved in a natural environment with no certainty. things were fine until ‘civilization’ and larger populations required humans to delay the age of reproduction. the later the acceptable age of marriage, the more the masturbation. by default that usually happened with the tool and hammer hand, the right hand. the more repressive the culture/religion the more masturbating went on. unfortunately the right hand is connected to the left logical /mathematical side of the brain where sex energy is satisfied in terms of certitude and magnitude (greed). the left hand is the hand connected to the creative orgasmic side of the brain. hence the conservative mind, in which studies show a common need to avoid uncertainty (need certainty). uncertainty causes fear in proportion to the need for certainty and since there is no certainty it must be created- hence more organized religion and all the denial of reality that comes with it. the amygdala actually reacts to uncertaity and fear and evolved as a half-way station or distribution depot for excess sex energy so that it can be stored and injected as needed into the creative right side to make up and rationalize the denial of reality that is needed to create certainty in a natural environment and reduce the fear. the pleasure centers get some of that energy at the same time and that’s the pleasure that absolute certainty brings, even when completely fucking wrong. you can see the you tube explaining this at: alien sex ed for humans.

Another one in a Shakespear play: “Cowards die many times before their deaths. The Valiant never taste of death but once.”

Another one in a Shakespear play: “Cowards die many times before their deaths. The Valiant never taste of death but once.”

Fear is an appropriate response at times, obviously. Fear can be warranted and unwarranted. Being afraid of a boogey man under your bed is an unwarranted fear. What you will find with conservatives is they often sell fear of the “other” for ideological/political ends.

The liberal’s fear of which you speak is warranted. If only from a risk management perspective, nuclear holocaust (relatively minor threat) and Climate Change (imminent threat). These are real and tangible threats by any reasonable assessment (all denier psuedo arguments aside).

Fear is an appropriate response at times, obviously. Fear can be warranted and unwarranted. Being afraid of a boogey man under your bed is an unwarranted fear. What you will find with conservatives is they often sell fear of the “other” for ideological/political ends.

The liberal’s fear of which you speak is warranted. If only from a risk management perspective, nuclear holocaust (relatively minor threat) and Climate Change (imminent threat). These are real and tangible threats by any reasonable assessment (all denier psuedo arguments aside).

And yet chimpy bush and shooter cheney created tyranny.

And yet chimpy bush and shooter cheney created tyranny.

Is it me are are some of the replies being mixed up with first time comments?

Is it me are are some of the replies being mixed up with first time comments?

The study doesn’t really state what is classified as a conservative. Is it talking GOP or an extreme rightwinger like me?

The study doesn’t really state what is classified as a conservative. Is it talking GOP or an extreme rightwinger like me?

The study doesn’t really state what is classified as a conservative. Is it talking GOP or an extreme rightwinger like me?

The study doesn’t really state what is classified as a conservative. Is it talking GOP or an extreme rightwinger like me?

The study doesn’t really state what is classified as a conservative. Is it talking GOP or an extreme rightwinger like me?

and the rest of the skull cavity is filled with cream filling…

and the rest of the skull cavity is filled with cream filling…

and the rest of the skull cavity is filled with cream filling…

and the rest of the skull cavity is filled with cream filling…

and the rest of the skull cavity is filled with cream filling…

Not all to the right are homophobes or bigited. For you to assume such makes you sound stupid.

Not all to the right are homophobes or bigited. For you to assume such makes you sound stupid.

Not all to the right are homophobes or bigited. For you to assume such makes you sound stupid.

Not all to the right are homophobes or bigited. For you to assume such makes you sound stupid.

Only if their I.Q. falls below a certain level.

The sad part is I worked with the Developmental Disabled and found many to be smarter than the “conservatives.”

Only if their I.Q. falls below a certain level.

The sad part is I worked with the Developmental Disabled and found many to be smarter than the “conservatives.”

Only if their I.Q. falls below a certain level.

The sad part is I worked with the Developmental Disabled and found many to be smarter than the “conservatives.”

Only if their I.Q. falls below a certain level.

The sad part is I worked with the Developmental Disabled and found many to be smarter than the “conservatives.”

Only if their I.Q. falls below a certain level.

The sad part is I worked with the Developmental Disabled and found many to be smarter than the “conservatives.”

I would like to see a study that shows a larger than usual lobal region for those that argue for ideas that have killed hundreds of millions but “hasn’t been done the right way yet”

http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2010/12/liberal-moonbat-meme-of-day.html

I would like to see a study that shows a larger than usual lobal region for those that argue for ideas that have killed hundreds of millions but “hasn’t been done the right way yet”

http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2010/12/liberal-moonbat-meme-of-day.html

I would like to see a study that shows a larger than usual lobal region for those that argue for ideas that have killed hundreds of millions but “hasn’t been done the right way yet”

http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2010/12/liberal-moonbat-meme-of-day.html

I would like to see a study that shows a larger than usual lobal region for those that argue for ideas that have killed hundreds of millions but “hasn’t been done the right way yet”

http://www.leftcoastrebel.com/2010/12/liberal-moonbat-meme-of-day.html