Anon Wrote:Why do liberals believe what they do? Why do conservatives?
In part, I believe that it has to do with geography. Geography creates politics - in other words, "geopolitics".
Maps of elections show that Democrat-voters generally live on the coasts, Republican voters in the interior. Coasts foster trading, whereas those in the interior focus on producing. Liberalism is an adaption to a trading society, whereas conservatism is an adaptation to a producing society.
Anon, all of these peope are not liberals. They're Progressives. I thought you knew that already.
As for their thinking and beliefs, I'm convinced that this is mostly due to 'intellectual maturity'. People who live closer to nature, and have a set of spiritual beliefs, naturally view the universe differently than most people living stacked upon each other.
I've spent, I don't know how much time, looking at this from an anthropological/biological POV, and honestly believe that as one matures intellectually, they naturally view things more logically. Remember that biblical part from I Corinthians that said,
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things?" Well, that's what this is all about; maturity.
Anthropologically speaking male humans were the hunters of the family unit. This requires a great deal of logic in order to hunt and bag one's prey. Consequently adult males learn to think logically, and give up their immaturity. Early females matured earlier, because they became mothers early on, and being childlike endangered one's child. Unfortunately, not all of us mature quickly or completely. And that's where the Collectivist Left claims its most followers.
Adult thinking people are less able to be attracted to things that take up time and resources. Naturally, if someone promises to give others things "For Free" they are more apt to be swayed by greed. If they believe it is to their material advantage, they will follow it, even though most of them realize that "Nothing is Free in life" unless one steals it from others. and logically speaking, that is immoral.
This is why political parties that treat their voters like adults tend to win more often. Just look at the Democrat Party these days. The candidates are acting like idiots, and children. And if they don't grow up and start acting like adults, they are going to lose, and lose big.
Anyway, its all about logic, and emotions. The more one matures, the more logical one views the universe.
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"Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it" - Jonathan Swift, 1710
