Why Is the Conservative Brain More Fearful? The Alternate Reality...

[Brewman_Jax]

Why Is the Conservative Brain More Fearful? The Alternate Reality Right-Wingers Inhabit Is Terrifying

http://www.alternet.org/media/155210/why...errifying/

From the article:

Quote:Consider for a moment just how terrifying it must be to live life as a true believer on the right. Reality is scary enough, but the alternative reality inhabited by people who watch Glenn Beck, listen to Rush Limbaugh, or think Michele Bachmann isn't a joke must be nothing less than horrifying.

Research suggests that conservatives are, on average, more susceptible to fear than those who identify themselves as liberals. Looking at MRIs of a large sample of young adults last year, researchers at University College London discovered that “greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala” ($$). The amygdala is an ancient brain structure that's activated during states of fear and anxiety. (The researchers also found that “greater liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex” – a region in the brain that is believed to help people manage complexity.)

That has implications for our political world. In a recent interview, Chris Mooney, author of The Republican Brain, explained, “The amygdala plays the same role in every species that has an amygdala. It basically takes over to save your life. It does other things too, but in a situation of threat, you cease to process information rationally and you're moving automatically to protect yourself.”

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It seems that to be a conservative means having to be a willfully-ignorant pessimistic hypocrite. They see that illegal immigration from south of the border has to be stopped with harsh legislation, but they don't see that about 25% of illegal immigrants come from Europe; not to mention the severely-physical and low-paying jobs that they take, so the rest of us can have cheap produce and seafood, nice lawns, and the other amenities of life in the USA. They see the coverage of the protests over the Trayvon Martin shooting and wonder why there isn't the coverage of when a black criminal kills a white victim. They don't see the racist nature of law-enforcement and the justice system and that a white suspect is more likely to be let go by police than a black suspect will, or a black suspect is more likely to receive harsher punishment than a white suspect for the same crime.

There's a black man as President, which no one EVER thought that they would see before the Starship Enterprise and the Federation became reality. They didn't mind black people in entertainment and sports, but now, those entertainers are performing with their white counterparts in areas where white performers generally reign supreme. Cross-over videos with hip-hop and country performers; Darius Rucker, formerly of Hootie and the Blowfish, is a top-selling and award-winning country singer. Joel Ward of the Washington Capitals NHL team and one of the few black pro hockey players, scored the winning goal in overtime defeating the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. The use of racial epithets by the fans of the defeated team on comment boards and social media is no shock. It seemed to be more personal and galling that they were defeated by a black player.

There is also the non-racial fears they have. Liberalism running amok and stifling capitalism and Big Business so everyone will be dependent on the government. Left-wing gangs commiting voter fraud, pushing sex-ed and "the gay lifestyle" in school, and the conservatives are mad as hell that there's no school prayer.

These crazy people on, and of, the rabid RW are truly afraid, according to the research. They see that conservative values and whiteness have little value anymore and the hoards of "those people" are coming to overrun them and their nice white conservative USA. That is what happens when the higher brain functions are suppressed and only the "fight-or-fight" lower brain functions are left.

[jaxx]

I bet they are afraid, they've just about hated themselves out of relevance. Without their also scared pals they are dinosaurs when it comes to the real world.

[Peacetrain]

They are fearlful of everything.. even when things are going their way..Must be a sad way to live.. they see enemies in every leaf on a tree..