Fascinating. While I’ve never read this study before, I’m not at all surprised. I have a Machiavellian sister who is a full on Trump Republican. I know a couple of narcissistic professional musicians that are life-long Republicans too. The personality type is ideal for the stage. You’d be surprised to know how many performers are narcissists. It’s all the more reason society shouldn’t idolize them (with obvious exceptions for Dolly Parton and Dave Grohl).
The one caveat I’m aware of are superficial, fiscally conservative Republicans. They are typically the minority party in larger cities, so their votes tend to matter less, but their media silence hides their sizable numbers. I grew up with many, and still know a few. They’re Republicans that aren’t politically aware, and are not personally bigoted, but vote Republican to do what’s best for their financial needs. They turn a blind eye to the party’s social stance and simply say that they’re doing what’s best for their family. The hypocrisy is real. I’ve had great conversations, where they’re honestly compelled to speak in favor of equal rights. Then at the polls, they don’t see voting as anything other than a financial decision. Their willful ignorance frustrates me the most.
The “fiscally conservative” people I know haven’t turned out to be any better than the others. One “moderate” and “fiscally conservative” acquaintance I had flat out told me to my face that he thought the world would be a better place if gender minorities didn’t exist, and that he thought we’re all pretending. Even the ones who haven’t spewed outright genocidal bigoted garbage either make it clear that they’d probably be doing it if it was more acceptable, or simply don’t have enough empathy to care about being on the side of genocidal bigots as long as they or anyone in their immediate family aren’t personally affected in any way.
Seems like even in the best case conservatives who are nominally only “fiscal conservatives” and not socially conservative have a severe lack of empathy, and are more than happy to eg. collaborate with actual fascists. Just look at how eager all “moderate” conservatives have been to cooperate with Meloni, who is a literal neofascist from a party that’s a direct descendant of the original Fascist Party.
I keep saying this, but it feels like “moderate conservatives” are mythical creatures at this point
With those opinions, they definitely sound socially conservative as well, regardless of their self definition. While I don’t agree with fiscal conservatism, I can maintain a friendship with a fiscally conservative and socially liberal person. I pushed socially conservative people out of my life years ago. I just can’t surround myself with all that ignorant hate.
But that’s the thing: he didn’t start out as socially conservative. Neither did my other friend who was just a fiscal conservative who just slowly slid over to blaming “woke” for everything and no longer approves of my “lifestyle”, which is about as boring as can be but being an enby is apparently a choice now – at least she hasn’t told me she’s dreaming of genocide, so there’s that.
The one fiscal conservative I know who hasn’t started sliding into full-on fascist bullshit is still more than happy to associate with eg. the “I want all minorities to go away” dude and tell me to “respect differences of opinion” if I make it clear I won’t be OK with bigotry. That just leaves me thinking that he probably agrees more with those people than he wants to let on, but being an actual (municipal) politician he doesn’t want to say it out loud.
I feel you. The polarization of social media and news made a lot of people shift more extreme over the last decade. I knew some perfectly decent people that started to blame immigrants and climate initiatives for their financial struggles. After failing to compel them into being more understanding of the truth, I had no choice but to stop talking with them. Once someone puts more faith in a Facebook meme than tax proposals on government websites, it’s hard to have a productive conversation.
![[CW: transphobia] How can they not see this is what's coming‽](https://sopuli.xyz/pictrs/image/aac8d0a6-f3d8-47c7-8c62-6b57b518b99b.webp){kind=link}
Fascinating. While I’ve never read this study before, I’m not at all surprised. I have a Machiavellian sister who is a full on Trump Republican. I know a couple of narcissistic professional musicians that are life-long Republicans too. The personality type is ideal for the stage. You’d be surprised to know how many performers are narcissists. It’s all the more reason society shouldn’t idolize them (with obvious exceptions for Dolly Parton and Dave Grohl).
The one caveat I’m aware of are superficial, fiscally conservative Republicans. They are typically the minority party in larger cities, so their votes tend to matter less, but their media silence hides their sizable numbers. I grew up with many, and still know a few. They’re Republicans that aren’t politically aware, and are not personally bigoted, but vote Republican to do what’s best for their financial needs. They turn a blind eye to the party’s social stance and simply say that they’re doing what’s best for their family. The hypocrisy is real. I’ve had great conversations, where they’re honestly compelled to speak in favor of equal rights. Then at the polls, they don’t see voting as anything other than a financial decision. Their willful ignorance frustrates me the most.
The “fiscally conservative” people I know haven’t turned out to be any better than the others. One “moderate” and “fiscally conservative” acquaintance I had flat out told me to my face that he thought the world would be a better place if gender minorities didn’t exist, and that he thought we’re all pretending. Even the ones who haven’t spewed outright genocidal bigoted garbage either make it clear that they’d probably be doing it if it was more acceptable, or simply don’t have enough empathy to care about being on the side of genocidal bigots as long as they or anyone in their immediate family aren’t personally affected in any way.
Seems like even in the best case conservatives who are nominally only “fiscal conservatives” and not socially conservative have a severe lack of empathy, and are more than happy to eg. collaborate with actual fascists. Just look at how eager all “moderate” conservatives have been to cooperate with Meloni, who is a literal neofascist from a party that’s a direct descendant of the original Fascist Party.
I keep saying this, but it feels like “moderate conservatives” are mythical creatures at this point
With those opinions, they definitely sound socially conservative as well, regardless of their self definition. While I don’t agree with fiscal conservatism, I can maintain a friendship with a fiscally conservative and socially liberal person. I pushed socially conservative people out of my life years ago. I just can’t surround myself with all that ignorant hate.
But that’s the thing: he didn’t start out as socially conservative. Neither did my other friend who was just a fiscal conservative who just slowly slid over to blaming “woke” for everything and no longer approves of my “lifestyle”, which is about as boring as can be but being an enby is apparently a choice now – at least she hasn’t told me she’s dreaming of genocide, so there’s that.
The one fiscal conservative I know who hasn’t started sliding into full-on fascist bullshit is still more than happy to associate with eg. the “I want all minorities to go away” dude and tell me to “respect differences of opinion” if I make it clear I won’t be OK with bigotry. That just leaves me thinking that he probably agrees more with those people than he wants to let on, but being an actual (municipal) politician he doesn’t want to say it out loud.
I feel you. The polarization of social media and news made a lot of people shift more extreme over the last decade. I knew some perfectly decent people that started to blame immigrants and climate initiatives for their financial struggles. After failing to compel them into being more understanding of the truth, I had no choice but to stop talking with them. Once someone puts more faith in a Facebook meme than tax proposals on government websites, it’s hard to have a productive conversation.