Conservatives Happier Than Liberals

[estesbob]

Well part of the problem with comparing the quotes is that a conservative at that time is not the same as a conservative today.

Mill was indeed refering to the 19th century British conservative party.

 

[goofyjim]

When I was his age i was campaigning for McGovern. As the old saying goes:

Those who are not liberal when they are young have no heart, those who remain liberal as they mature have no mind.

Thank you but I remain liberal and have a mind and a heart.

 

[ruslan]

When I was his age i was campaigning for McGovern. As the old saying goes:
Those who are not liberal when they are young have no heart, those who remain liberal as they mature have no mind.

19th Century French historian and statesman Guizot is the originator of the quote “Not to be a republican at 20 is proof of want of heart; to be one at 30 is proof of want of head.” This quote has been reworked many times especially in reference to socialism and liberalism. It has been used by and attributed to Churchill, Shaw, Disraeli and many others.

Just an observation.

 

[Polaris]

I think it sort of makes sense. By the nature of the definition of conservatives, they are happy with the status quo, they want to keep the way things are, or conserve them, while liberals always envision a better world than the current one and want to change it, for better or worse sometimes. In the end, they are both needed. I like the chages liberals bring sometimes, I like voting, I like having a right to say what I beliieve, I like not having slavery, I like religous freedom and then I like the conservatives that keep these ideas today. What I hate is the conservative that wants to go back to segregation in the south and are all for getting the southern trees back to producing their strange fruit, or the liberal that believe in eugenics to fitten the human race. That why I like to be independent and thats the truly happy way to go.

 

[estesbob]

19th Century French historian and statesman Guizot is the originator of the quote “Not to be a republican at 20 is proof of want of heart; to be one at 30 is proof of want of head.” This quote has been reworked many times especially in reference to socialism and liberalism. It has been used by and attributed to Churchill, Shaw, Disraeli and many others.

Just an observation.

Thnaks-I have been looking for the source for years. When I first saw it it was attributed to Churchhill but I could find no substantiation for it.

 

[SenorSalsa]

I do not think libertarianism is a political position: it is merely the manifestation for petty-bourgeois cupidity.

I still want this explained, i dont know what that even means

 

[rosebudsal]

Thank you but I remain liberal and have a mind and a heart.

Me too. Though sometimes, I think I’m losing my mind. I still think I’m 20 and stay up all night. At 20 I didn’t have a real job.

 

[deb1]

I think it sort of makes sense. By the nature of the definition of conservatives, they are happy with the status quo, they want to keep the way things are, or conserve them, while liberals always envision a better world than the current one and want to change it, for better or worse sometimes. In the end, they are both needed. I like the chages liberals bring sometimes, I like voting, I like having a right to say what I beliieve, I like not having slavery, I like religous freedom and then I like the conservatives that keep these ideas today. What I hate is the conservative that wants to go back to segregation in the south and are all for getting the southern trees back to producing their strange fruit, or the liberal that believe in eugenics to fitten the human race. That why I like to be independent and thats the truly happy way to go.

I am a southerner myself and I don’t know of anyone that wants to go back to segregation!

 

[deb1]

I still want this explained, i dont know what that even means

petty means trival, Bourgeois(spelling way off) means middle class or trades people. Its basically an elitist term for the back bone of society. Cupidity means greed.

I am uncertain how he connects libertainism with ‘trivial, middle class greed’.

 

[goofyjim]

If conservatives are so happy why are so many on the airwaves blowing off steam? They complain just as much as liberals do because they aren’t happy unless everything is going their way.

 

[deb1]

Ribozyme, I think I shall ignore you. Your beliefs, to me, are disturbing. I hope you never become president, because I’d hate to see you with a loaded, cobalt-salted ICBM. That you think that humanity should become extinct is extremely distressing, that your type exists is even more disturbing.

Don’t be mad at Ribozyme. He seems like a well intentioned, articulate young man. I think that he truely wants to solve the world’s problems. Unfortunately, he has some mistaken beliefs. He is very young though, hopefully, even if he remains liberal he will out grow some of his more extreme views.

 

[chewchoo]

i think this study hit the nail on the head. and it doesn’t say that no liberals are happy, it says that only 27% said they are happy. while 47% of conservatives are happy. in the end we have happy and unhappy people in both groups.

i also like the rationalization part too. i have seen so many liberals rant on one thing or another. one of my favorite liberal phrases is “they won’t let me do that”. i’ve tried to rationalize with them, who is the “they” and what is the “that” that they won’t let you do? i never get an answer. a lot of liberals seem to be happy in their misery. they can’t move ahead because somebody else is holding them back. uh, okay.

 

[goofyjim]

i think this study hit the nail on the head. and it doesn’t say that no liberals are happy, it says that only 27% said they are happy. while 47% of conservatives are happy. in the end we have happy and unhappy people in both groups.

i also like the rationalization part too. i have seen so many liberals rant on one thing or another. one of my favorite liberal phrases is “they won’t let me do that”. i’ve tried to rationalize with them, who is the “they” and what is the “that” that they won’t let you do? i never get an answer. a lot of liberals seem to be happy in their misery. they can’t move ahead because somebody else is holding them back. uh, okay.

Have you ever experienced a disability early in life? You have to go on Social Security and then it is impossible to get off of it without losing all the medical care you need at the same time. Now a conservative would say just work harder but the liberal wants to reach out and make it easier for that person to share the good things in life. I’m happy being a liberal and frustrated with many a conservative who tout equality but are content to let others struggle much harder.

 

[ChristIsTheWay]

Have you ever experienced a disability early in life? You have to go on Social Security and then it is impossible to get off of it without losing all the medical care you need at the same time. Now a conservative would say just work harder but the liberal wants to reach out and make it easier for that person to share the good things in life. I’m happy being a liberal and frustrated with many a conservative who tout equality but are content to let others struggle much harder.

You make far too many generalizations about conservatives. Do you think each and every conservative out there is stupid enough to tell a disabled person the solution to their problems is to work harder? Please don’t insult me (a conservative) by accusing me of cold-heartedness.

 

[Polaris]

I am a southerner myself and I don’t know of anyone that wants to go back to segregation!

Im talking about the extremes off both sides. I personally do not know anyone either, but than again I do not know anyone in the KKK or a militia. On the liberal side I again know of no one that support eugenics either but they exsist too. Both need to be kept in check by both sides.

 

[chewchoo]

Have you ever experienced a disability early in life? You have to go on Social Security and then it is impossible to get off of it without losing all the medical care you need at the same time. Now a conservative would say just work harder but the liberal wants to reach out and make it easier for that person to share the good things in life. I’m happy being a liberal and frustrated with many a conservative who tout equality but are content to let others struggle much harder.

i’m not talking about people with disabilities. i’m talking about your average person. and i’m not talking about health care, just neighborhood issues. why must liberals always think conservatives are out to take away other people’s healthcare and food stamps!!

 

[goofyjim]

I still say this whole study is stupid and insulting. You can’t measure happiness. Why don’t they study something tangible and quantifiable? Better yet save our money and don’t study anything.

 

[deb1]

Im talking about the extremes off both sides. I personally do not know anyone either, but than again I do not know anyone in the KKK or a militia. On the liberal side I again know of no one that support eugenics either but they exsist too. Both need to be kept in check by both sides.

I understood and agreed with your point though, just not your analogy.

Honestly, the most frightened that I have ever been was in Spokane, Washington several years back when they were having problems with white supremacist. Those are some scary people. Not that I ever asked any white supremacist if they were conservative or liberal. So, I can’t speak to their level of happiness.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I think humans are too complex to pigeon hole them into the conservative/liberal labels.

I’m liberal on some things, and I’m conservative on other things.

But if we look in general terms at liberal thought through our own US history, and see the accomplishments, and consider if conservative thought had prevailed, where would we be today?

First off, the American Revolution, was the result of liberal thought. Conservative thought sought to stay with the status quo of British rule.

Then slavery. It was liberal thought that fought to end slavery. Conservatives again, would’ve sought to stay the course.

Women’s right to vote. Again, conservative thought was to stay with the status quo, of women being subservient to men. Would we want to return to this way of thinking?

Then the Civil Rights movement, which would not have succeeded without liberal thinking people.

The war in Vietnam. Conservative thought was to keep it going, until the job was finished, despite having already lost 50,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese people. Again, liberal thought prevailed.

The war in Iraq. Conservative thinking is to ignore the lessons of Vietnam, and once again, stay the course, even if it keeps us there 100 years. Liberal thinking is, enough with war, end it now.

Sure, there are consequences from both lines of reason, but I ask the question again, consider where we would be, if conservative thinking had prevailed over liberal thinking on these issues?

Jim

 

[ChristIsTheWay]

I still say this whole study is stupid and insulting.

I agree this study is stupid and insulting. People tend to do and say stupid and insulting things to people they disagree with. This is especially so in politics.

First off, the American Revolution, was the result of liberal thought. Conservative thought sought to stay with the status quo of British rule.

This might make me unpopular but I say nothing really bad. British rule in the Americas wasn’t as bad as some might think. The horrid taxation, for example, was minimal compared to other colonial powers in the Americas. We would have stayed under British rule for several more decades and probably gained independence sometime in the nineteenth century, probably as a single nation unified with Canada. Being such a huge nation, we would probably still have ended up a superpower and had an important impact on world history.

Then slavery. It was liberal thought that fought to end slavery. Conservatives again, would’ve sought to stay the course.

You’ll want to define liberal thought. These liberals were often fairly devout Christian folk basing their arguments against slavery on solid theological grounds. It is also interesting to note where the “liberal” abolitionist movement eventually went. It formed the highly successful Republican Party, which evolved into modern America’s conservative party. The so-called conservatives of that era found most of their support within the Democratic Party, which eventually evolved into modern America’s liberal party. Interestingly enough, the majority of the modern-day liberal movement, especially within the Democratic Party, has found itself on the wrong side, again, of an important issue of human rights – abortion.

Women’s right to vote. Again, conservative thought was to stay with the status quo, of women being subservient to men. Would we want to return to this way of thinking?

I haven’t really studied this part of history, so I will suspend judgment until I can look into it. Isn’t it interesting that the liberals you’re talking about are social liberals and the conservatives are social conservatives? While social liberals of the past might have been right, do you think they are right today about issues like homosexuality, abortion, etc? What will America be in 100 years if listen to them now?

Then the Civil Rights movement, which would not have succeeded without liberal thinking people.

Probably so but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a conservative case for civil rights.

The war in Vietnam. Conservative thought was to keep it going, until the job was finished, despite having already lost 50,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese people. Again, liberal thought prevailed.

The war in Iraq. Conservative thinking is to ignore the lessons of Vietnam, and once again, stay the course, even if it keeps us there 100 years. Liberal thinking is, enough with war, end it now.

Well, I could go on and on about how you are wrong about both Iraq and Vietnam but lets not get the thread too off track. I think you’ trying to give liberals far too much credit and even prophetic insight, as well as assuming liberals were and are right.