Study: Conservatives Have Larger 'Fear Centers' in Their Brains

[Almira]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 9:08pm

A study at University College London in the UK has found that conservatives' brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals. Amygdalas are responsible for fear and other "primitive" emotions. At the same time, conservatives' brains were also found to have a smaller anterior cingulate -- the part of the brain responsible for courage and optimism.


http://www.alternet.org/news/149362/study:_conservatives_have_larger_%27fear_centers%27_in_their_brains/

[sabrelady]

Posted: 1/8/11 at 6:12pm

Conservatives have brains? Only if they ate them!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/8/11 at 6:50pm

"conservatives' brains have larger amygdalas than the brains of liberals."

Which is why they all carry guns.

[tazber]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 3:11pm

Not a fan of conservatives, but this "study" is absurd.

What about people who are liberal in their youth and become more conservative as they grow older? Or what about conservatives who become more liberal over time?

Ideology is an attitude, a belief - not a genetic disposition.


I'm not entirely sure this isn't meant to be a joke altogether.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 7:34pm

"What about people who are liberal in their youth and become more conservative as they grow older? "

Obviously a brain tumor.

"Or what about conservatives who become more liberal over time?"

Remission.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 9:29pm

Personally I think this studying is more or less saying that if you have a very large fear center and generally a very negative person, chances are you will be a conservative.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/9/11 at 11:20pm

And this study is why a lot of conservatives don't put much stock in science. Because garbage like this is given attention.

Use your common sense for five seconds. There are millions of conservatives who are religious and put their trust in God. Do you really think that faith in God means that conservatives have a larger "fear center"? It would be the exact opposite. Because many religious conservatives put their faith in God, they would have smaller "fear centers".

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/12/11 at 9:47pm

Your argument is kinda crap.
Many of the people you describe FEAR God. If they step outside of what their cult...I mean religion says, they think they are going to be cast down to hell, or if someone does something they do not approve, that said person is going to hell. If anything, they have larger fear centers...
And also, if something bad happens, it's "The devils work.." never taking responsibility for the crap they do.
And it's hard to argue that they are "optimistic" when a lot of these wack jobs say nothing more then REPENT THE END IS NEAR!