Why conservatives are happier than liberals NEW YAWK TIMES

[charles052]

However, who you have met and how happy they are, or even yourself, is just anecdotal information and not statistically valid. Again, the basis of the article is that it picks up on the research that shows married people with families are generally happier than those not married. There are studies that support that. Then it goes on to say that since more conservatives are married than liberals, conservatives are happier than liberals.

There is a difference between causation and correlation. For instance, since McDonalds introduced the Big Mac, violent crime has decreased while at the same time sales of the Big Mac have increased. There is a correlation, actually quite strong, between the two data sets. However, there is no evidence that sales of Big Macs caused the decline in violent crime. Likewise, there may be a correlation between conservatives and their marital state and how it relates to happiness, but that does not mean being conservative is the cause of that happiness.

Perhaps happy people are just naturally more conservative? Maybe conservatism doesn't cause happiness but happiness causes conservatism.

[oshunluvr]

Funny (odd not haha) that my impression of conservatives is one of extreme un-happiness. Happy people don't go around demanding that others believe and behave the way they do, that's unhappy behavior.

[charles052]

Funny (odd not haha) that my impression of conservatives is one of extreme un-happiness. Happy people don't go around demanding that others believe and behave the way they do, that's unhappy behavior.

Conservatives actually don't give a crap nearly as much as you think. Leave 'em alone and they're happy. Start messing with their beliefs and their freedom and you've got a fight on your hands.

That's probably why liberals are so unhappy. They can't ever leave well enough alone and then they got conservatives kicking their butts!

[Qqmike]

charles052: "Conservatives actually don't give a crap nearly as much as you think. Leave 'em alone and they're happy."

Where do you live? Under a rock perhaps?

[oshunluvr]

charles052: "Conservatives actually don't give a crap nearly as much as you think. Leave 'em alone and they're happy."

Where do you live? Under a rock perhaps?

+1

They're happy as long as they can take away Planned Parenthood and abortion rights and prevent gays from marrying and block voting rights of minorities and so on...

...none of which effects anyone who chooses not to use any of the above.

I've never heard of any "liberal" (a person who believes in the rights of others) forcing anyone to turn gay or have an abortion or get a free pap smear or use birth control. On the other hand, the "conservatives" (a person who believes all others should do as they say) have been trying for decades to take away all the above. Conservative used to mean someone with high personal morals and a belief in a simple and consistent existence. The term has been co-opted by the wackos bent on control.

Apparently "being left alone" in current conservative speak means "do it my way or else." This is what we refer to in communications as "A lack of shared meaning."

Personally IMO, the current Republican leadership should just change the name of the party to what it is, Fascist.

For the record, the Democratic party is almost as out whack as the Repubs. It's really time for a viable third party - one based on actual thought and moderation rather than extremism and rhetoric.

But that's just my opinion and since I'm not Republican or Democrat, I'll listen to your opinion and maybe you'll even change my mind a bit - assuming you have any intelligent reasons behind your beliefs.

[charles052]

+1

They're happy as long as they can take away Planned Parenthood and abortion rights and prevent gays from marrying and block voting rights of minorities and so on...

...none of which effects anyone who chooses not to use any of the above.

I've never heard of any "liberal" (a person who believes in the rights of others) forcing anyone to turn gay or have an abortion or get a free pap smear or use birth control. On the other hand, the "conservatives" (a person who believes all others should do as they say) have been trying for decades to take away all the above. Conservative used to mean someone with high personal morals and a belief in a simple and consistent existence. The term has been co-opted by the wackos bent on control.

Apparently "being left alone" in current conservative speak means "do it my way or else." This is what we refer to in communications as "A lack of shared meaning."

Personally IMO, the current Republican leadership should just change the name of the party to what it is, Fascist.

For the record, the Democratic party is almost as out whack as the Repubs. It's really time for a viable third party - one based on actual thought and moderation rather than extremism and rhetoric.

But that's just my opinion and since I'm not Republican or Democrat, I'll listen to your opinion and maybe you'll even change my mind a bit - assuming you have any intelligent reasons behind your beliefs.

Abortion, gay rights, and a mysterious minority whom are denied rights

Abortion is wrong. Problem is that everything that leads up to the abortion is usually just as wrong as the abortion itself. Promiscuity, a total lack of concern for human life, etc... It's the end result of a much bigger problem. In order for the abortion issue to ever be done with, you have to either get people to care for human life again, or get them to stop caring altogether.

Gay rights? What a mess. No one wants to talk or make compromises. One side saying 'keep your lifestyle to yourself' and the other is saying 'keep your morals and beliefs in the closet'. It's a giant cluster#@*$ and the only winners are the politicians who love putting one side against the other. I seriously doubt we'll ever see a federal resolution to this issue.

Nope, the biggest issue for me is the crooks, liars, and thieves that are supposed to be representing us. Who turn us into sheeple with these frivolous issues that they use to turn us against each other. It's not the Democrats vs. the Republicans, its the people vs. the politicians and we're losing.

You see, I'm like you. Not fooled by the BS. For me, those smaller issues take a back seat to fiscal responsibility and our rising debt, the serious lack of jobs and job security, and the constant erosion of our basic human rights. Yeah, I really wish there was a way to get our government to be responsible again, stop their overspending, to let real science take over so that we can have cheap renewable energy, better and more affordable healthcare, and get the people to stop depending the government to make sure we don't 'harm' ourselves by drinking too much sugary soda (nanny laws).

Unfortunately, I have a really bad feeling that it's going to get much worse before it ever gets better. And then, gay rights and abortion are going to be the least of our worries.

[SteveRiley]

You seem to have an appreciation for certain pronouncements of real science: you mention renewable energy, and I presume by "better healthcare" you're thinking of good evidence-based medicine. But what about other aspects of real science: zygotes, embryos, and fetuses aren't conscious or sentient; homosexuality is not a lifestyle choice.

Whether or not one believes in an ultimate creator, and whether or not one believes that ultimate creator concerns itself with the daily motions of each individual human being, it's pretty obvious that we're designed to have sex and enjoy it. Avoiding "promiscuity" means forcing one's self to go against one's nature -- why stop that which the creator has designed us to take pleasure in? Modern science, a product of the brains with which we're endowed, has developed ways for humans to engage in an intentionally pleasurable activity while sparing the need to reproduce each and every time. We aren't built to fly, but we're smart enough to understand the physics of an airfoil. We aren't built to have sex without reproduction, but we're smart enough to understand the biology behind contraception. So if you want to solve the "abortion issue," make it easy for people to have safe, frequent sex.

Regarding homosexuality, this is an issue where there simply do not exist multiple sides, except in the minds of those who wish to manufacture controversy. As one can't choose one's race or gender, so also can't one choose one's orientation. The science is settled on the matter; deferring to iron age fairy tales is no substitute for modern understanding of genetics.

[charles052]

You seem to have an appreciation for certain pronouncements of real science: you mention renewable energy, and I presume by "better healthcare" you're thinking of good evidence-based medicine. But what about other aspects of real science: zygotes, embryos, and fetuses aren't conscious or sentient; homosexuality is not a lifestyle choice.

Whether or not one believes in an ultimate creator, and whether or not one believes that ultimate creator concerns itself with the daily motions of each individual human being, it's pretty obvious that we're designed to have sex and enjoy it. Avoiding "promiscuity" means forcing one's self to go against one's nature -- why stop that which the creator has designed us to take pleasure in? Modern science, a product of the brains with which we're endowed, has developed ways for humans to engage in an intentionally pleasurable activity while sparing the need to reproduce each and every time. We aren't built to fly, but we're smart enough to understand the physics of an airfoil. We aren't built to have sex without reproduction, but we're smart enough to understand the biology behind contraception. So if you want to solve the "abortion issue," make it easy for people to have safe, frequent sex.

Regarding homosexuality, this is an issue where there simply do not exist multiple sides, except in the minds of those who wish to manufacture controversy. As one can't choose one's race or gender, so also can't one choose one's orientation. The science is settled on the matter; deferring to iron age fairy tales is no substitute for modern understanding of genetics.

I've gotten into way too many of these arguments and I know exactly where this is headed. I don't call them debates because debating requires a certain amount of civility and these topics bring out the worst in the most decent of people. I simply don't want to disrespect anyone here or even mistakenly appear to be disrespectful.

So I'll respect your opinions and I do hope you'll respect mine.

In any case, the point of my post is that until we get better people in office, who intend to make American the home of the brave and land of the free once again, these matters are of a more trivial nature than the other major issues such as our freedoms being taken away little by little or the looming collapse of the government.

[serious_lee]

....
go against one's nature -- why stop that which the creator has designed us to take pleasure in?
....

Umm.... are you sure about that?
I mean i am with you on accepting people without any reservations and i see the appeal of having all the fun all the time. But, i don't think anything is obvious about human nature. And definition of pleasure changes from person to person. In fact, the same person might adopt a completely new belief system about an issue over a certain interval of time, isn't it. History if full of people who have genuinely enjoyed misery of other people. One man's pleasure can be someone else's pain. Just couple a of days ago i read in a local newspaper about how this married woman received a wrong number from some chatty dude, ended up having an affair, got caught and is now leaving her 3 year old daughter to off live with the guy who happens to be unemployed. Fun all around, i guess! Again, i don't want to judge any of them (mosstly cause its exhausting and waste of my time) but i can't help but feel that not everyone involved had 'fun'. Who knows, maybe over time it'll turn out to be the best thing that happended to them, but in my heart i know thats a leap.
A little restraint, a little caution, some introspection is expected of a human being, not just in matters 'sex' but everything. IMHO thats what makes us human, not just blindly following your every animal instinct. I absolutely know what a rush, how freeing, breaking rules can be, but the cost has to be considered. Are you sure following your every nautral instinct is a good idea? I don't think so. Am i wrong in thinking that?

[Qqmike]

charles052: "I simply don't want to disrespect anyone here or even mistakenly appear to be disrespectful ... So I'll respect your opinions and I do hope you'll respect mine."

The best way to show your respect for SteveRiley's response is to counter it with logical, science-based evidence and argument.

[GreyGeek]

.....
Nope, the biggest issue for me is the crooks, liars, and thieves that are supposed to be representing us. Who turn us into sheeple with these frivolous issues that they use to turn us against each other. It's not the Democrats vs. the Republicans, its the people vs. the politicians and we're losing.
.....
Unfortunately, I have a really bad feeling that it's going to get much worse before it ever gets better. And then, gay rights and abortion are going to be the least of our worries.

This situation has been 30-40 years in the making and the current economic crisis is bringing it all to ahead. No one person or party is solely responsible.

....
So I'll respect your opinions and I do hope you'll respect mine.
...

And that attitude, as long as it is respected and upheld, is what makes Kubuntuforums different from /. or many other forums. Ad Hominem attacks always add lots of heat and no light to any discussion.

[bsniadajewski]

This situation has been 30-40 years in the making and the current economic crisis is bringing it all to ahead. No one person or party is solely responsible.




And that attitude, as long as it is respected and upheld, is what makes Kubuntuforums different from /. or many other forums. Ad Hominem attacks always add lots of heat and no light to any discussion.

But they are sure fun to read.. and LOL at.

[Qqmike]

An effective post, GG. Seems to have stopped the posting.
But, seriously, you're right. Let's write another one off under "polite protocol."
:-)
Best not to even raise these Hot Right Topics topics.