Competitiveness causes political persuasion?

[Pedalpower]

I like to joke that when one is too conservative, they kill another being, and when one is too liberal, they lie around, making love all day...

I've been thinking, and I believe that your level of competitiveness is the main determiner of your political persuasion.

The most competitive seek confrontation. They need winners and losers, black and white solutions. Winning is the goal. They make confrontation often, hate ambiguity and find mutually beneficial solutions distasteful.

The less-competitive avoid confrontation, seeking compromise, negotiation, and solutions that benefit the majority. They seek consensus and build community.

And, of course, there's a middle ground and exceptions to the rule. I'm a recovering conservative who couldn't ignore my humanity or the existence of facts.

I don't know what to do with this information, but I wanted to share.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Are you familiar with Bob Altemeyer's work?

One of his books is online and available free. It's a good place to start looking at some of the differences.

Check it out.

http://members.shaw.ca/jeanaltemeyer/drbob/TheAuthoritarians.pdf

Also have a look at George Lakoff's writings. Some of that is online free too, for example:

http://www.wwcd.org/issues/Lakoff.html

And welcome to DU.

[Pedalpower]

2. Thanks, Jackpine!

I've heard of Lackoff, but I'll check Altemeyer!

[bhikkhu]

3. Disagree...

anecdotally, I've been very competitive my whole life, in sports, in academics, in the workplace, etc. Much of my trouble in youth came from driving things too hard and looking at second place as defeat. But people are inherently compartmentalized - at the same time I idolized Gandhi and held equality as an absolute value, and compassion as the best approach to the world as a whole.

I've always believed that the main determiner of political persuasion is how you think about people in general. Conservatives almost universally believe people to be corrupt, untrustworthy, lazy and dishonest. Liberals almost universally believe people to be good, trustworthy, hard-working, and well-intentioned. I don't even see much meaning to the words "conservative" and "liberal", or right/left, or republican/democrat, without those two perspectives defined,

Think about the two and test it against how people of different persuasions talk about people, when they get down to their viewpoints. You can even categorize tv shows into those that have a basic compassion at their root and those that have a basic derision at their root, and note that different kinds of people choose different kinds of entertainment.

...on competitiveness in general, I think the one thing that maturity has given me in that regard is the idea that second place (or below) is still a good place. If you push yourself and know how hard you worked to get there, it gives you a greater appreciation of how hard the guys who beat you had to work. And then, with an appreciation of work in general ("living life to the fullest" and so forth), a realization that they had to push themselves that hard to beat you, and that made it a better race. Which is definitely something.

[Pedalpower]

5. Great reply...

I don't see many conservatives who aren't extremely competitive. They seem to make confrontation where none exists. They seem to have a crazy desire to cause defeat of foes in order to preserve or advance their own positions.

The two seem so closely linked.

[bhikkhu]

8. Or you could say there are two types of competitiveness:

One that competes because they love the game and loves how it can bring out the best in people. Another that competes out of a desire to crush every other person or group, and to crow from the top of the heap.

[SharonAnn]

7. The "conservative" competition I've seen in the workplace is a little different. It comes from

the "win at all costs" mindset.

If they don't think they can "win" the next promotion or bonus, they sabotage their competitors. I found it shocking, but observed it over and over again.

It's not about working to be better, it's about making the "other guy/gal" lose.

My two cents.

[OceanEcosystem]

4. I'm not quite sure about that.

I've seen plenty of easygoing conservatives in my time, and also plenty of liberals whom I'd describe as competitive and confrontational.


Also, what about all those students in the Ivy Leagues? It seems that many students wouldn't be there if they didn't have some competitive drive, and Ivy League students, if I recall right, tend to be predominantly liberal.

[Pedalpower]

6. Drive -vs- competitiveness?

Is there a difference? One can strive to advance without creating confrontation of ruining the chances of a 'rival', as they advance.

I think of a driven person fighting for the poor, vs modern Cons fighting for the few.