Is Political Ideology a Choice, or Is It Hardwired Into Us? -- New York Magazine

 

Interesting article on a subject I'm fascinated with. The author seems almost convinced of the "hardwired" explanation, that there is something innate to each of us that guides our political disposition. I think this is reflective of the trendy view these days. But, I'm not sold. I find our political associations to be not much less arbitrary than our sports associations. No one chooses which sports team to cheer for due to genetic traits that influence our personalities, we choose them with a lot more whimsy (location, team colors, players, big games, friends' allegiances, etc.).

 

Once our side is chosen, the tribalism and confirmation bias that define our politics take hold.I imagine this is an unpopular view as we want to believe our views are deeply held, rational reflections of our intellect and values. But, I think they are much more irrational and fungible than any of us are willing to admit.

 

Thoughts?

Neither. It has more to do with our parents/upbringing and our experiences in life.

Neither. It has more to do with our parents/upbringing and our experiences in life.

 

This is how I would answer the question.

Neither. It has more to do with our parents/upbringing and our experiences in life.

 

Agreed. But, doesn't that make it a choice at some level?

Personally, I think it's a little of both. We all have different thought processes that we are born with, and I think a portion of us are predispositioned to think a certain way. Some people are born leaders, some are followers, and some are right down the middle. I think the followers end up with the same beliefs as their parents. The leaders are looking for their own answers and will choose their own path. And the ones in the middle are based on what social group they end up with when they go to college or work.

 

In my case my parents raised us to be free thinking individuals and to seek our own answers.

 

I do not have the same political beliefs as my sister, and we were raised in the same household.

Personally, I think it's a little of both. We all have different thought processes that we are born with, and I think a portion of us are predispositioned to think a certain way. Some people are born leaders, some are followers, and some are right down the middle. I think the followers end up with the same beliefs as their parents. The leaders are looking for their own answers and will choose their own path. And the ones in the middle are based on what social group they end up with when they go to college or work.

 

In my case my parents raised us to be free thinking individuals and to seek our own answers.

 

I do not have the same political beliefs as my sister, and we were raised in the same household.

 

Which do you think influences you more: your born with genetics or your raising?

I think we are hardwired to lean one way or the other then enviroment molds the rest. My parents are both fairly liberal and my brother and I are anything but.

Agreed. But, doesn't that make it a choice at some level?

 

Perhaps, but to the person making the choice it doesn't seem like anything but a natural progression.

Perhaps, but to the person making the choice it doesn't seem like anything but a natural progression.

 

Of course. I don't think anyone would like to say that about themselves. It makes it seem a bit futile. I think people like to say that it's either innate, and thus its something about them that separates them from others or makes them superior to others (e.g. "I'm a conservative so I'm smarter than liberals."), or the product of a rational calculation, i.e. "I've weighed all of the information and decided that conservatives have the best ideas and positions." I just don't think either of those are true. Then again, I might be crazy, but it does seem to shed some light on the fierce tribalism and schadenfreude that comes along with politics.

Agreed. But, doesn't that make it a choice at some level?

 

Absolutely. There would be no such thing as a choice if upbringing and life experiences must be excluded.

Fungible and schadenfreude. My vocab lesson for the day. Thanks Habib! :thumb:

It is not a choice at a particular time, it should be constantly evolving. I grew up in EKY at in a very conservative evangelical church. I was straight pro-life and pro-death penalty and and you better find Jesus or you will go to hell. I was even with my mom when she worked in 72 (I was 5) to get Nixon elected, I still like what Hal Rogers does for his constituents.

 

When I was 25 I met the daughter of a moderate southern baptist minister and his christian social worker wife. At my first dinner with them he asked me how in the world I could be a republican and a christian. I have moved to the left ever since. A lot from their influence but more from years of working with disadvantaged kids.

Which do you think influences you more: your born with genetics or your raising?

 

It's tough to differentiate. Theoretically my sister and I should have same beliefs. We have the same genetics and same raising, but we're pretty different.

 

I do believe we are born wired a certain way. Strong willed people are who they are. I don't think raising can change you if you are wired strongly to one side. I do think it can help you understand the other sides beliefs even if you don't agree.

 

So I go with genetics for the left and the right, and raising for moderates.

It is not a choice at a particular time, it should be constantly evolving. I grew up in EKY at in a very conservative evangelical church. I was straight pro-life and pro-death penalty and and you better find Jesus or you will go to hell. I was even with my mom when she worked in 72 (I was 5) to get Nixon elected, I still like what Hal Rogers does for his constituents.

 

When I was 25 I met the daughter of a moderate southern baptist minister and his christian social worker wife. At my first dinner with them he asked me how in the world I could be a republican and a christian. I have moved to the left ever since. A lot from their influence but more from years of working with disadvantaged kids.

 

In my case, it was also a matter of my political beliefs evolving. I grew up to parents who were both Democrats and whose friends were all Democrats. I was influenced by their beliefs as a young child and frankly just accepted their beliefs. When I went to Centre, I was taught to think critically and while remaining a Democrat, I started examining the Democratic and Republican principles. When I went to law school, I was taught to think analytically and by the time I finished law school, I had changed my party affiliation to Republican as I felt the Republican principles more closely matched my beliefs. By the time I left active duty with the Marines, I was a hard core conservative. Frankly I was, to paraphrase a country song, a Tea Partier before the Tea Party was "cool".

 

Since then, my beliefs have moderated somewhat. I'm still a conservative with libertarian streaks. I think I've become (others will surely disagree) much more practical in my beliefs, or perhaps more accurately, the application of my political beliefs. I attribute that to my practice of law over the last almost 30 years, which is driven by thinking critically, analytically and logically but needing to compromise to move my clients' business forward. While the TV image of lawyers is one of confrontation, in reality it's one of negotiation and compromise, developing/determining leverage and applying it, and minimizing emotions in the decision making process.

 

So with me, it's not a hard wire issue, but rather a issue of my political beliefs evolving based on learning and life experiences. If evidence is shown to prove the author's theory of hard wiring is correct, I must have a lot of breakers in my wiring system that have been "tripped" to cause my political beliefs to have changed so much over the years.

Fungible and schadenfreude. My vocab lesson for the day. Thanks Habib! :thumb:

 

Brings to mind a line from Stephen Wright.

 

What's another word for thesaurus?