Which Kind of Brain Would YOU LIke to Have?

Thanks for sharing. I think I pick, open-minded over closed-minded!

YAY !!! I'm a LIBERAL

(It IS a good word, it's just that Reagan really used it like a dirty word and people listened to him for some odd reason)

LIBERAL LIBERAL LIBERAL - WONDERFUL WONDERFUL WONDERFUL!!!!!

Honesty and kindness would be my choices, I don't like to be labeled one way or the other for political bearings. One can be honest about any choice. As well, kindness begets kindness. Thanks for asking.

Debi - those are definitely important traits either way. The study, though, specifically looks at how information is processed. Are you open to new information? Or, do you stick to previously formed judgements, not matter what new info comes your way? I think that's the basic question.

Thanks for your comment, LL. Always a pleasure.

liberal

Lex,

Because you "conservatives" always complain about the "liberal" professors at all the universities!

Liberal professor here! Over-educated, if I do say so myself.

I always knew this!

Jamie/James - Funny how that works - people with a lot of education and knowledge tend to be labelled "liberal" more times than not. But doesn't it follow that to be more educated, to take in and process more information critically, it takes an OPEN MIND?

(please note that comment, Lex, and THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE before responding.)

"Liberal" really never had a negative connotation in my world until this political season and being on Gather. This is the first time that "liberal" has been considered a "bad" word. (And obviously not by me...)

Liberal can be used to modify TONS of things, not just political affiliation. She has a very liberal wardrobe. She has a very liberal style of writing. She is very liberal about who she sleeps with..... etc.

Exactly the point of the researchers, Lainie. They see these labels as describing more than political thought - they would describe the way any information is processed in the brain and, as you point out, how it is then translated into action. If someone is not "open minded" maybe they don't tend to have a great variety in their wardrobe, but rather stick to a small number of styles.

Depending on my mood I guess I am both just like everybody else.

So, you're saying you process information both ways, Colonel? I don't think that's possible, unless you're bi-polar, or schizophrenic?

That would explain why Liberals in power are more amenable to changing their positions if something doesn't work. Not a strong point for our more prominent conservatives.

Good point, Bill. That would certainly be an outcome of the thinking process, wouldn't it? Stick to your guns, no matter what happens in the world around you. Maybe that's way Bush creates a bubble around himself. Easier to do without all that confusing racket from the citizens.

Good article. This explains a lot.

Sheryl,

Lex can't respond because he's not real! Besides, a report just out says that conservatives have trouble comprehending complexity.

James - can you cite the source of that report? It would be an interesting read. Thanks.

Oh how Cute! Lil Lexxie put in his .2 sec soundbite! Makes me miss my puppy! So the Media (yeah, right) and the Educational system are liberal idiots and the pick-em-up trucks with gun racks and who go hunting with high caliber weapons and 6-packs . . . they're the premium intelligence? ROTFLMAO!!! Ok . . . Stupid University education wasted when I could have been hunting and fishing to be smart! Silly me! :P

Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~

It is funny how people want to think that one size fits all. In our division of labor society one size fits all does not work. some people are better at some things, yet in our society one group runs things. the power group does not consider how other people operate. my example is that money and money management is something we all need to survive in this society without being ripped off or taken advantage of, but many people never have the inclination or time to develop that expertise, they are busy taking care of themselves, and everyone else's needs by doing their jobs. That means that those of us who do not devote ourselves to managing money over time are at an extreme disadvantage that evolutionarlity may well end up to work out a genetic diversity. I am reminded of "The Time Machine" where over time human society developed into the Eloy and the Morlocks.

Hmmm.. I remember the Eloy and the Morlocks.

I do think, after having taught children for years, that there is a variety of ways people process information. But, if you want to look at it over a larger spectrum and analyze how people who characterize themselves, liberal or conservative, it is interesting to note, both in the study and in my experience, that people who label themselves "liberal" do tend to be more open-minded and flexible when presented with a number of different ways to approach a problem.

To take that a little further, one may extrapolate that the people who are open to considering a number of possible solutions would be the ones that are open to learning about those solutions and information regarding those solutions (i.e., the world in general) more so than those who would consider themselves "conservative". People who tend to be "fixed" in their approach or views don't need to be as curious or explorative - they've already made up their minds and are convinced they are correct.

> people who label themselves "liberal" do tend to be
> more open-minded and flexible when presented with
> a number of different ways to approach a problem.

See Sheryl, you look at it that way.

But another point of view might say liberals are more
likely to be criminals, lacking in discipline and moral
values, blame others.

As I said, everyone has a tendency to think one size
fits all and to - hate - anything different. When things
are going pretty good for us we don't much worry about
hate or differences other than to laugh at them.

But come some crisis, people unite along these lines
of thinking the same ... it is interesting that in large
organization the kind of mindset that does well is
a more regimented one.

To me, the goal is to look at the whole system and
how people fit into it. What their differences mean
over the long term and how things change to reflect
that.

"it is interesting that in large
organization the kind of mindset that does well is
a more regimented one."

Actually, Bruce, having worked in a couple of very large corporations, this is exactly what they don't want, at least in middle and upper management. They want people who are flexible, willing to change, and open-minded to creative solutions to problems. Change is constant now and corporations need to know that people will adapt, or they are going to fail.

My article was based on a scientific study. I thought it was interesting and jived with my personal experiences over the past 50 years.

liberal

Guess I am a crusty old conservative.

Maybe conservative, but never crusty, James. : - )

Pardon me for being late to the party, but, in a word, who cares? I crave complexity and ambiguity and always welcome new ideas - so what? It bugs me that the gov't would spend money on something like this. All the "study" does is try to drive another wedge amongst the people. The "them" or "us" nature of the report is disgusting to me. Why not describe the study as showing the strength of our people because they bring many talents to the table? Or, how are you going to think outside the box if there is no one around to describe the box? We need everyone to be strong at what they are and not try to redefine themselves to fit some perceived model of correctness.

Welcome back, David! Seems like you should be a little more chilled out after a vacation, though.

First, I don't know that this study was funded by tax dollars - it did not specify. A lot of university research is funded through private grants or corporations. Very little gets funded by tax dollars. Secondly, people may use this info as a weapon with which to divide, but personally I am curious about any kind of information that is derived from a study in this area.

I don't know what you do, but I guess my being a teacher in the past, then working with clients on their investments right now makes this area particularly interesting to me. It is very common in my business to have people describe themselves as "liberal" or "conservative" in relation to investing. This kind of information gives an advisor a good idea of what a client is looking for, how they want their money managed, what kind of communications they want to receive, how they view up's and down's in the market, etc. It really can be very illuminating.

I guess, when viewed in a more negative way, this kind of differentiating information can be used destructively. There's always a chance of that with any information, no?

Sheryl interesting article....I am a liberal.

I am going to check back on this article....cant wait to see the responses you get.

Sheryl,

I'm sure that the one to which I was referring is the same on on which your article is based. Just a different report of the nature of the study. And I agree that it can be interpreted two (or more) ways. In fact I've heard the neo-con interpretation on talk radio already. They said that liberals like conflict and interpreted that as war so that makes liberals bad. It did say that liberals were more likely able to follow complex problems through and could accept conflict more readily.

I read it in the Idaho Daily Statesman newspaper a few days ago. If I find anything of interest more I'll post it.

Thanks, James! It is an interesting topic to me for many reason, personal and professional. My daughter went to MIT and they have a HUGE neuroscience dept there and we attended some lectures (anybody can go to them for free - wish I lived closer to campus) and they were absolutely fascinating. I think that the study of info processing, like the scientific study of personality and its disorders (chemical/physical/etc), will open up a whole new world of understanding into human thought and behavior in the future.

The more we understand about ourselves and how we function, the better we can relate to other people, don't you think?

Reading this thread -- which, since I can't spend hours a day on Gather, tends to get away from me -- I can't help but wonder whether we're talking about different aspects of 'liberal' and 'conservative.' That is, can there be liberal and conservative mindsets or ways of thinking that don't necessarily translate into one's being liberal or conservative on, say, social issues? I've run into a number of "liberals" who are just as locked into extreme positions as any right-wing conservative. I think I have a rather liberal mindset, but I am also an economic conservative -- albeit a social liberal. To complicate things, those kinds of labels shift, sometimes dramatically, over time.

Sheryl ... glad to hear someone is interested in neuroscience. I think this effort, and the effort to educate people about what we, humans are, and how we work is going to be the biggest force to move people's world views and change their behavior. I find the whole subject endlessly fascinating.

Bill - good points. The meanings of labels change - I think the reported results, at least the ones skinnied down for the newspaper, are very broad.

Bruce - thanks for stopping by. I agree - I think scientific research in this area is being looked at more and more by businesses and in other areas of human interaction. Any time two people interact, the more understanding we have about how each other's brains function and the more we can apply that knowledge to modify our behavior, the more productive the interaction will be. I don't look at it as being able to manipulate the situation towards getting one's way, rather to modify towards better communication and a "win/win" situation. That's the goal in any negotiation.

I'm conservative. I don't want to be too open-minded lest my brains fall right out!

Liberal and very proud of it! I just don't understand why anyone would WANT to be closed-minded. Baffling. Cool article..thanks for sharing :)



Please read and rate my entry:
A Scandalous Overture

Lacey - LOL! Thanks for stopping by.

Jerrica - thanks to you, too. I'll try to get to your article also.

Pssst, Lacey, it is a Republican scare tactic that if you keep an open mind your brain can fall out, you don't really have to worry about it.

From what I've seen of the new breed of Republican, I don't think there's any danger of their brains falling out. Then again, there are a lot of Democrats who don't need to worry bout that, either.

Excellent observation, Bill. : - ) Maybe there should be a whole separate study of those mammals called "representatives".