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Thread: Study shows Liberals are smarter than Conservatives - What do you think?

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    Azn's Avatar
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    Study shows Liberals are smarter than Conservatives - What do you think?

    (you need an account to see links)

    Before I start off, I want to say my dad is extremely conservative. I do have a few conservative friends who I've met in high school/college. While I do not agree with the study, I do want to say that liberals are more open, therefore they are able to see things in different ways. That's the only point I want to make...

    I'm liberal btw.

    What do you guys think, yes or no?

    Also state whether you consider yourself conservative, liberal, or moderate...

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    Sloth's Avatar
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    It depends on the person. More black people are in jail than white people but that doesn't mean everyone in jail is black. Such as this study might say liberals are smarter than conservatives but that doesn't mean every liberal is smarter than every conservative. IMO if you pick a side you're not so smart either way. Stand on the sidelines and watch each side go to war while you laugh at the stupidity.

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    Azn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sloth View Post
    It depends on the person. More black people are in jail than white people but that doesn't mean everyone in jail is black. Such as this study might say liberals are smarter than conservatives but that doesn't mean every liberal is smarter than every conservative. IMO if you pick a side you're not so smart either way. Stand on the sidelines and watch each side go to war while you laugh at the stupidity.
    Well yes, I agree but overall, the article is saying that liberals are smarter... I don't disagree with your standpoint, I refuse to stand and watch and let conservatives take over. Also, I believe that if you stand for something, you fight for it no matter what, so if you're conservative, keep fighting, though I think you'll lose.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sloth View Post
    IMO if you pick a side you're not so smart either way. Stand on the sidelines and watch each side go to war while you laugh at the stupidity.
    Not really. I do believe that in an absolute sense, the overall IQ or degree level (if you accept that as a measure of intelligence), either liberals or conservatives will come out on top. This is just a matter of computation. There really is an answer.

    The difference is that there is no measurable way to truly figure out whether either side is smarter. The closest you can approximate it to is by random sampling and even that leaves a lot of liability. For example, are they really a liberal or a conservative? And what about all those people who don't fit on either side? Much of the methods involved in the article to make an assessment are inherently faulty. For example, do they even know and/or understand all aspects of a liberal alignment?

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    Liberal in what sense? There are so many different ways a person can be liberal that it doesn't discuss. If someone identifies themselves as a liberal, that could mean they're economically liberal, but they could be socially conservative. You know what I mean? I consider myself economically conservative, but socially liberal. What does this make me?

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    Sloth's Avatar
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    No side will ever "come out on top", It just won't happen unless you kill everyone that disagrees with you. Conservatives will get in the white house.. then people will get fed up with them and put a liberal in... then people will get fed up with them and put in a conservative and round and round.

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    I don't mean come on top in that sense. There really is a smarter group if you were to break down all the variables. You just can't measure it to know the real answer.

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    bamag's Avatar
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    I think I am somewhere between liberal and moderate. I agree with the study and it does not come as a surprise to me. The correlation between education and liberalism is quite natural in my opinion.
    Education (especially the social sciences) open up people's eyes to issues in society. This makes them more inclined to have liberal views.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bamag View Post
    I think I am somewhere between liberal and moderate. I agree with the study and it does not come as a surprise to me. The correlation between education and liberalism is quite natural in my opinion.
    Education (especially the social sciences) open up people's eyes to issues in society. This makes them more inclined to have liberal views.
    I'd like to actually back up this (sociology) statement with scientific studies exampling the association ;D.

    According to (you need an account to see links), a 10-year study conducted by Astin with students from 300 U.S. colleges in 1979 found greater increases in liberalism in social science students than in those majoring in engineering and mathematics. Students who have been exposed to social and liberal ideologies as part of their academic discipline for extended amounts of time may be inclined to adopt those ideologies.

    In (you need an account to see links), they found that commerce students were significantly more conservative than social science students in their attitudes towards social issues such as poverty and unemployment.

    Interestingly, another study (can't remember the name of it, bah) made the conclusion that the Canadian education system actually had a more conservative influence on students, thereby making them more conservative.

    I'd also argue that argue education itself does not necessarily swing people towards left -- but that certain politically-inclined people are more likely to pursue higher educations. I can't help but consider our past deeply conservative Presidents annnd the shitty GOP candidates with spectacular Ivy League educations. Cough.

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    I think the word smart might not be to accurate and to say they are more intelligent that's closer to the truth, in my opinion, but i think that's smarts or even intelligence can't be measured. Yes certain areas of people intelligence can be tested, such as math or science.

    Im liberal in most areas

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