ever thought you just couldn;t understand people with a different political perspective? you think differently, that's why. your brain and thought processes may be quite different: http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(11)00289-2 fascinating stuff.
Interesting. It seems the Amygdala is primarily concerned with emotional learning. Perhaps it's related to conservatism because they have been traumatised by all the socialist (*)(*)(*)(*) ups over the years, thus building this area of the brain. I also note that one of the areas the anterior cingulate cortex is correlated to is reward anticipation. Of course, I have been quite selective in the evidence I have put forward.
there was a lot I could have said in relation to the amygdala and why I might think it makes sense, however I would want to see more research before I started casting those ideas about .... I do think it is interesting though .... maybe you are right about the trauma of having to deal with socialism creating conservatives ..... although most people who are (*)(*)(*)(*) scared of socialism have never encountered it. seems more related to them being out and out scaredy cats.
Some anthropologists have suggested that modern man (when he/she was not-so-modern) may have interbred with Neanderthal man. This is open to serious debate. But they agree that Neanderthal culture remained the same for the entire history of the species, i.e., about 250,000 years. They were, you might say, conservative from beginning to end. It's not clear why Neanderthal man became extinct. But one theory holds they lacked a capacity to adapt to changing conditions. I believe political orientation is entirely a learned behavior moderated (as is all behavior) by emotional needs. But who knows?
I'm reminded of a the phrase "correlation is not causation". It is theoretically possible that the brain structure is caused by the thinking and not vice verse or that both is caused by something else. I just don't know how to deal with this kind of information but could this be used to suggest that ideologues of either persuasion should never be morally judged (much like congenital "homosexuals")??
The amygdala is usually damaged in psychopaths. Perhaps this is why Stalin and Hitler, were liberals. They better understood the left. The amygdala is also required for learning, memory modulation (important in critical thinking), and creativity. However the anterior cingulate cortex, seems to be only useful in simple tasks such as deciding whether: Three Three Three Three is four words or three. And emotional modulation, which is very important to someone who is being brain washed. I'd say the conservatives win in the more useful brain department.
Its entirely possible that this is caused by environmental factors. It is a fact that the brain will not develop properly if not given the right environmental stimulus and there are studies which shown specific parts of the brain will grow and become specialised in response to other types of environmental stimuli.
So, cons come from Neanderthals and libs come from Homo Sapiens? Ok, I can live with that and it sounds about right. Seriously, though, it's most likely that these ideas are passed on in the home. Look at the poor little kids dragged along to klan rallies, wearing their cute little pointy hoods and screaming the same racist (*)(*)(*)(*) as their parents. There is also the factor of individual personality, and studies have been done showing that children who were whiny and insecure tend to grow up to be cons while kids who were more confident and laid back tended to grow up to be liberals.
LOL. hitler a socialist. Anyway before (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)bags like most people above look at actual IQ studies of UK elections. Green with higher IQ and far right lower IQ:
National socialist party = nazi. LOL a socialist calling himself a socialist? IQ is a bogus rating, there is a consensus in the scientific community that IQ is meaningless and we don't know what to measure for intelligence. The best thing to do to see who's got the better ideas is to clash them together in a debate. This happens every day on conservative radio talk show. The liberal talk shows don't tend to last very long, because they look dumb when a smart conservative puts them in their place. You could have the fastest computer in the world, but if it's running nothing but DOS it's rather useless.
Were these studies of actual liberals and conservatives, or just people who called themselves one thing or another? And what about people who go back and forth between liberal and conservative? Do their brains change shape?
No they are just as screwed as the next guy.. they need the mob to feel viable.. all that changes is their bumper stickers
Smaller, not damaged. There is also evidence that fetal alcohol syndrome, epidemic in many western countries, also affects the development of the amygdala.
Political cravings do not identify cognitive capacity or function. Cognitive fucntion indicates ability to think and evaluate the environment, as well as plan and organize. Higher cognitive function is based on the development of cognition, and will account for planning and organizing, as well as logical and emphrical thought. Some if not all of those who undergo a brainwashing of religion lack the ability to derive prespectives of more than two dimensions, as they derive solutions based on one or the other as choices. Hence clear cut tru/false, type solutions for complex problems does not always suffice when discussing issues of complex and multiple factors. Hence, the retardation of cognitive development. Some will go on to enhance their functioning, while most will "accept" what god gave them, as it is "gods will", and it will be unlikely that they will every develop into adult brain functioning.
Proof? Links? Concrete detail? What in the hell does politics have to do with religion? How can you deny the very essence of the OP in the very first sentence? You seem to be making black and white decisions yourself.
