Plan B Forum

Pacific Standard

Given the many instances of Tea Partiers lashing out in anger over the past few years, it’s reasonable to think this is an extremely unhappy group of people.

Reasonable, but wrong.

At least, that’s the implication of newly published research from Canada. It finds a “significant association” between authoritarian attitudes and a subjective sense of well-being. These findings are “in line with evidence that conservative ideology … may promote positive psychological outcomes,” writes a research team led by psychologist Cara MacInnis of the University of Toronto and Michael Busseri of Brock University.

In the journal Personality and Individual Differences, the researchers describe a study featuring 237 Canadian university students. Participants provided a set of opinions to determine the extent to which they are aligned with right-wing authoritarianism—that is, a tendency to submit to authority, condemn those who violate the rules, and uphold established traditions.

They then gave a second set of opinions designed to determine their “social dominance orientation,” another aspect of generalized authoritarianism. Specifically, they expressed the extent of their agreement with statements such as “Some groups of people are just more worthy than others” and “In getting what your group wants, it is sometimes necessary to use force against other groups.”

Finally, they were asked to rate their current life on a scale of one to nine (from the “worst life I could have” to the best). They were also given 20 adjectives (10 positive, 10 negative) and asked about the extent to which each described how they feel “in general.”

The results: “On the general level, greater generalized authoritarianism was clearly related to greater subjective well-being,” the researchers write. “The association suggests that generalized authoritarianism may be ‘good’ for the self.”

In some ways, this result is counterintuitive. Much previous research has tied conservatism to higher levels of perceived threat. It’s hard to reconcile how people can both feel threatened and have a strong sense of well-being.

On the other hand, a strong sense of social hierarchy (the notion that everyone has their place) can arguably provide a coherent structure that makes the world seem less chaotic—and theoretically more controllable. That could, in turn, promote a sense of well-being.

It’s also important to note that the study participants were overwhelmingly young and female. They were also Canadians, who as a group report higher levels of well-being than Americans. It’s conceivable that an older, more male-skewing, U.S. sample could produce different results.

Still, this research calls into serious question the notion of far right-wingers being grumps who are taking out their misery on those around them. If these results are correct, they may be making others (such as, say, Republican moderates) plenty miserable, but on a personal level, they’re doing quite OK.

dales wrote:Are you a "happy camper", rubato

I got JJ Cale, blasting away.

Disconnection from reality makes you happier.

The fact that many people, like yourself, are not smart enough to promote your own interests is a little depressing.

yrs,
rubato

dales wrote:

The fact that many people, like yourself, are not smart enough to promote your own interests is a little depressing.

yrs,
rubato

I prefer not to be selfish prick .........you?

But as to "selfish prick" I consistently vote to raise my wife's taxes and then she taxes herself directly by giving to women's health, education, 2 different groups promoting health in Ethiopia, and various other causes.

Lord Jim wrote:

The Notary usually charges $100.00, pretty reasonable.

Yeah, but does the missus think it's reasonable?

That would seem to be the party who's opinion would matter, here, since afterall, it's her 100 bucks....

ETA:

On second thought, in your case rube, it's probably more than reasonable...

$10 for the service, and the other 90 for having to suffer through your company...

In fact now that I think about it, at $100 to have to spend time listening to you, she's badly under compensated...

rubato wrote:Intelligent and successful women are terrifying to you. You have made this plain by years of posts.

You have sought your own level, socially professionally and intellectually, you will never rise above it.

Pathetic.


yrs,
rubato

Lord Jim wrote:... your dependence on your wife ....

Andrew D wrote:It reminds me of research concluding that women who have had sex only with their husbands are more satisfied with their sex lives then are women who have had sex with more than one person.

Really?

Compared to what?