To start this article off it is imperative to use the following quote:
Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains.
-Winston Churchill-
This is the heart of the topic I will be discussing. The question, or hypothesis as the case may be, portends that in general liberals and conservatives are a completely different culture of people based on maturity. If we hold the above quote at Churchill's word it appears conservatives are more mature than liberals. Sure, I could leave it at this, but I'd like to go a bit more in depth on the topic if I may.
In 2003 a cousin of Paul, from Powerline had this theory:
"It would be interesting to compare the average age of the voters who identify as Republicans vs. those who are Democrats. I suspect that the average age of Democrats is higher than that of Republicans.
Conservatives, based on the above assumptions, are generally older. I would suggest that they are not only physically older, but older of mind. They are more wizened. They have taken the time to think things through and have come to educated conclusions about things. Here are some attributes of the more mature conservative.
Better writers - Due to a mastery of language through time and experience the conservative is better able to articulate a point, or debate a point without aruing or resorting to name calling.
More rounded education - Through life experience, further education, an extended period of observation and an opportunity to experiment over time the conservative has the polished education that allows him or her to have a better conclusion to a given situation. They have experienced and/or experimented with a given situation in the past and are more familiar with cause and effect.
They think things through - Due to the realization that life does not end at 30 the sense of urgency in churning out a fast answer is simply not there. Because the stress and urgency are no longer involved with the conservative they are more capable of thinking things through more fully and frequently arrive at a deeper, frequently hidden resolution that quick reactions would miss.
Conservatives are more moral - I'm sure this is the hard one for liberals to accept but we need to face facts. Conservatives give a greater respect to moral issues. They give greater respect to others as well. This may hearken back to the "old" adage "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
Against overtaxing the rich - considering most rich people are older it would go to show that conservatives by and large have worked longer and have amassed greater wealth than the younger liberals. Being a product of nature conservatives want to keep their hard earned money. Wouldn’t you?
Liberals are frequently younger than their conservative counterparts. Not only are they younger, they are more prone to emotion vice education. Truly the liberal does appear to have a more sensitive heart than a conservative.
Emotional but poor writers - Liberals write with fervor and strong emotion. However, due to their inexperience and clouded judgment from their emotion they frequently miss points and distort facts. This, while entertaining and inspiring, does not make good journalism or factual writing.
They drink the Kool-Aid - Because they lead with their heart and not their head a liberal is more susceptible to following damned near any hair-brained scheme that comes down the pike. I would officially like to declare this the "pied-piper effect".
More apt to attend rallies or protests - since many liberals are still in school and forming their lives and yet to hold a sustainable job they are more likely to attend rallies or protests. Conservatives just can't compete in this arena. We have careers that consume our time. I really envy youth in this regard because rallies are fun and all the hot chicks hang out there.
Self centered - because youth has yet to see how one hand washes the other they frequently believe the world revolves around them. They believe they are the greatest thing since sliced bread until their world comes crashing down on them. This usually occurs when they realize that they are not immortal and quite frequently fallible. If you don't understand what I'm talking about here go ask a teenager, they have all the answers.
Immoral - Again, this one will probably stir the pot to boiling but it is necessary. This demeanor of a liberal is systemic with being self-centered. If the only thing you think about is yourself you are bound to be more immoral than someone who thinks frequently of others. They are also less bound by the rigors of society and are usually not expected to stand true with their integrity intact.
Tax the rich until I'm not poor - Lets face it, the younger you are the less money you have been able to accrue. The basis behind the rich tax is bound by the same principles of why a conservative wants lower taxes: it benefits them.
This article is in no way meant to stereotype all conservatives or liberals. It is merely a hasty generalization based on the initial quote by Winston Churchill. It does not take into effect a million and one other factors that make a liberal or conservative what they are. It is simply one facet in better understanding to the basic demographic of both groups.
Where do I sit on this? I'm 30 and a centrist.
Posted by aakaakaak at May 12, 2005 01:56 PMI think that taxes and kids turn most into conservatives, at least on some level. I guess those of us that were conservative from birth are just totally nuts.
Posted by: Tran Sient at May 12, 2005 10:25 PMIf you want a laugh, visit Tish's world and read what she has to say about "taxes."
Posted by: Mustang at May 13, 2005 12:15 AMChurchill was a wise man...and this is my favorite quote of his. It is so true. I truly believe that many liberals have good intentions and that their heart is in the right place..they just lack common sense of how the world really works, they get duped into these utopian pipe dreams of world peace.
Posted by: Jay at May 13, 2005 10:12 AMA young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat and supported the distribution of all wealth. She felt deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican which she expressed openly.
One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to higher taxes on the rich & the addition of more government welfare programs. Based on the lectures that she had participated in and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that for years her father had obviously harbored an evil, even selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.
He stopped her and asked her, point blank, how she was doing in school. She answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain. She studied all the time and never had time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have many college friends because of spending all her time studying because of her more difficult curriculum.
Her father listened and then asked, "How is your good friend Mary doing?"
"Mary is barely getting by," she replied. "She barely has a 2.0 GPA, and all she takes are easy classes and she never studies. But Mary is extremely popular on campus. College, for her, is a blast. She goes to all the parties all the time and very often doesn't even show up for classes because she is too hung over."
Her father then asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your 4.0 GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0? That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."
The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair! I worked really hard for mine and Mary has done little or nothing! She played while I worked real hard!"
The father slowly smiled, winked and said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."
Nope sorry, doesn't work for me. I grew up in a Republican family, member of Young Republicans in high school, and worked on a local campaign.
However, life intervened. I finished college and married and had two children. The more of life I saw, the further left I leaned and, as I watch the current administration, the further left I shall stay.
I suspect that I am certainly physically more mature than many bloggers. Mentally? Well, I hold down a solid job, I pay taxes, own a house, and have children. Reality has certainly set in. I am on various committees in my religious community. I am caretaking my elderly mother. I have a 401k, personal savings, and could be considered financially responsible.
Certainly those could be construed as mature, responsible activities.
While I often question whether or not I am a Democrat, I am certainly left/liberal.
Many of the Republicans in office in D.C. appear to me as whiny, immature, bullies, who are not in control of themselves or their personal activities. Certainly not attributes of maturity.
Posted by: JulieB at May 15, 2005 01:37 AMI did say this was strictly one aspect based on the theory of a quote. It won't work for everyone.
Posted by: Jeremy at May 15, 2005 01:56 AMThis thread really amused me. As a reformed former Republican (I am a working class populist, which in today's politics makes me a liberal), I have made these same arguments but with the terms "conservative" and "liberal" reversed.
I find conservatives to be emotional, reactionary, shallow thinkers with extremely limited education who accept quick easy answers that make them feel good but gloss over the depth of problems. The usual line of demarcation, I find, is not age or income but whether you factor in systems within society. A conservative will blame poverty on the individual, a liberal is more likely to blame it on the economic system.
I argue that conservatives are the Kool-Aid drinkers. How else can you explain all those working class Republicans supporting economic laws that favor their employers and not themselves? Note that back when Kansans were fixated on economical rather than religious issues the state was a bastion of ultra-liberalism. Kansas has drunk the Kool-Aid.
I also argue that conservatives have no moral superiority. Cons base their morality by excluding the economy. They can't conceive that labor laws, welfare/health coverage, environmental regulations, etc, are based on moral values (and much closer to Jesus's teachings). Cons just want to limit morality to sex, but never money. (And you can argue that Dems are the opposite. But I contend that other people's sex doesn't hurt anyone else, while one man's greed can devastate millions of people.)
I am intrigued how people from both sides of the political fence make the same claims about the other. Same words, even. And I believe this antagonism is being cultivated by the parties and the pundits. If Americans engaged in honest, rational discussions we would find there is so little difference between us all. And that we are being played by the most powerful in our society. So long as we are at each other's throats, we aren't watching THEM.
--Dan
Posted by: dan at May 19, 2005 03:12 PMCongratulations Dan!
You just fought a moot point. If you would be so kind as to re-read the part where I explain how this entire argument is effectively in a vacuum and revolves around nothing more than a Winston Churchill statement you might see your folly.
Of course, this article was actually designed to suck people in much the same way you were just sucked in.
Gotcha Dan!
(Remember to read the WHOLE article and not just snippets.)
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Posted by: executive search at October 28, 2005 07:58 AM