rich tasty courage ([info]calamityjake) wrote,
@ 2006-02-23 11:16:00
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Entry tags:media, politics/law

Hi, I'm a social scientist!
George Will wonders why conservatives are happier than liberals and predictably comes up with reasons that conservatism causes happiness.

Well, George, you've got to understand the correlative fallacy here. Maybe it's not that being conservative makes one happy but rather that being happy (read: complacent) makes one interested in preserving the status quo and keeping one's own circumstances as wonderful as possible (at the expense of the people whose own circumstances may not make them so happy).

I'm not saying that's true, I'm just saying that, you know, let's not jump to self-congragulatory conclusions just yet.

My favorite part is definitely this impressive bit of compressed contradiction:

Such puzzles show why social science is not for amateurs. Still, one cannot -- yet -- be prosecuted for committing theory without a license, so consider a few explanations of the happiness gap.
Also, going hunting is not for amateurs. Still, one cannot -- yet -- be prosecuted for hunting without a license. Apparently.

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[info]discreet_chaos
2006-02-23 05:59 pm UTC (link)
I'd say that you hit the nail on the head and George Will is simply talking out of his ass. Conservatives are generally older, wealthier and as you say by definition, they oppose change. Religious people may also be statistically more conservative and many may lack riches and the wisdom of age, but they trust in something outside of themselves and anything that does happen, they simply blame on their god's will.

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[info]calamityjake
2006-02-23 09:12 pm UTC (link)
I can understand the idea that spirituality might actually be responsible for happiness--there's a very real comfort to the feeling that things happen for a reason (even if they are bad, at least there's a purpose behind them). And, as you say, religious people do probably tend to identify more often as conservative.

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[info]kssdagain
2006-02-24 02:26 am UTC (link)
You know, sometimes I just want to buy you a beer or something. :)

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[info]calamityjake
2006-02-24 04:31 am UTC (link)
I'll be in Denver in 9 days!

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[info]kssdagain
2006-02-24 04:28 pm UTC (link)
Are you serious? You should look me up when you're here!

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[info]calamityjake
2006-03-07 12:04 am UTC (link)
Hey, I'm in your city. Want to pour me some drinks tonight or tomorrow?

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[info]kssdagain
2006-03-09 09:08 pm UTC (link)
You're in FtC? I'm not working either night, but if you want to meep up for a drink, I'm game.

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[info]calamityjake
2006-03-09 09:09 pm UTC (link)
I was in Denver, but now I'm not. As you may have gathered from how I left you that comment two days ago!

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