Are Conservatives Empathetic?

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  1. My Esoteric profile image85
    My Esotericposted 6 years ago

    It had been my observation over the last several decades that the answer to that question is "not so much" and that is one reason they are Conservatives. I recently found out that I was wrong - at least to the degree of whom conservatives are empathetic towards.

    A recent study published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research in January 2019 concluded that conservatives are as empathetic as the next guy or gal or liberal.  Where the difference lies, and it explains a lot to me, is WHO conservatives are empathetic towards.

    It appears that conservatives are empathetic to "insiders", but not "outsiders".  Liberals, on the other hand, are empathetic to everybody (to the degree they are empathetic at all).

    There is a test you can take at https://psychology-tools.com/test/empathy-quotient that tells you how empathetic you are, but not whether it is towards "insiders" or "outsiders".  Personally, I was shocked when I came up with a score that said I am not very empathetic at all - not far above the Autistic Syndrome threshold.  That is scary and deserves some introspection given I am a social liberal.

    Thoughts?

  2. Live to Learn profile image59
    Live to Learnposted 6 years ago

    I find it interesting that your link has nothing to do with left/right politics or anything in this OP. My score was high but not as high as I thought it should be since I'm considered very empathetic. I'm a conservative. Go figure, by what appears to be your logic. Which doesn't appear to have much to do with logic, by the standard definition.

    1. My Esoteric profile image85
      My Esotericposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, you are right, the empathy test link, as I mention, only measured empathy and has nothing to do with the point of the forum.

      I meant to include this https://www.businessinsider.com/liberal … tly-2018-1 

      This might help everybody.

  3. IslandBites profile image68
    IslandBitesposted 6 years ago

    Based on my observation, I tend to agree with the study.

    Btw, that was a good exercise. I scored high, but I already knew that. It is almost a flaw of mine. It has affected me in different ways for a long time. Still, i'm glad I'm not apathetic.

 
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