Study just in: Liberals Smarter

See? I can make really broad statements as well.

A quick excerpt: “Previous psychological studies have found that conservatives tend to be more structured and persistent in their judgments whereas liberals are more open to new experiences.” Hmmm. . . really?

Slate’s William Saletan dissects this study a little more in depth, and explains that many of the blanket statements issued by the scientists involved are positively directed toward liberal inclinations of mind.

I have no problem with this on some level. Stubbornly minded people might be less likely to change their perceptions in any given situation. With so many influences coming at us at once, it’s nearly (if not totally) impossible to remain exactly the same, and trying can drive someone insane. Yet, always wanting to change causes severe identity problems, leading to further insanity.

Regardless, I see the inevitable fallout from this study, which is directed from pigeon-holing people into exactly two political sides, always perceived in direct controversy. In most political conversations, every Democrat is a “liberal” and a Republican a “conservative.” Therefore, when information like this is released, most people in America are thinking “Democrats are smarter than Republicans.” The Democrats stick their noses up and the Republicans grab their guns.

It’s not nearly this simple. Most people harbor both conservative and liberal sensibilities, because understanding when it’s appropriate to either change or stay the same is probably useful for that whole survival thing. Personally, I'd argue that anyone who falls completely to one side OR the other in this way of thinking is missing something.