Rick van Opbergen said:Are leftish people more rational? Now I consider myself to be a bit rational, and I'm leftish haha but what do you think? Is it an advantage that people on the left tend to be less carried along when it comes to patriotic feelings, or church rhetoric (as Haggis said, at least, for the "patriotic feelings", but than with as example the Bush-voters)? (Personally, I sympathize with this view). Or are people on the left maybe just the same as others, and are they maybe "irrational" in being rational, by immediately rejecting a large part of "rightish", "conservative" or "religious" rhetorics? Are leftish people more rational?
Actually, we're just plain perfect.
Seriously, I think liberals and conservatives pretty much live up to the dictionary definition of the words. Conservatives tend to be intolerant of change, and they are inclined to a faith-based way of thinking. Conversely, liberals favour progress, they are broad-minded and tolerant (especially by comparison to conservatives).
Since liberals take a more intellectual approach to learning and living, I would venture to say they are more rational. It would almost be a contradiction in terms to call a conservative, who bases much of his life on faith, 'rational'.
George W. Bush might make my point best for the way conservatives approach things. He has, many times, made rather critical decisions in office (ie Iraq) based on his simple faith that it is 'the right thing to do', based on his 'gut feeling', and from 'conversations with god'.