Experts explain ``5 signs that you are a right-winger'', are right-wingers a bad idea in the first place?



In India, the world's largest democracy,

there is a growing nationalist movement to change the country's name to the Hindi word ``Bharat'' instead of the foreign word ``India,'' and right-wing parties are making rapid advances in European elections. , right-wing ideology is gaining power worldwide. Although some media and social media have voiced their dismay over this shift to the right, it is important to understand the true meaning of the word ``right-wing,'' rather than simply using it as an insult. From a scientific perspective, experts discussed the characteristics of right-wing people and the factors that lead them to lean toward right-wing ideology.

Five signs that you might be rightwing
https://theconversation.com/five-signs-that-you-might-be-rightwing-221930

◆Definition of right wing
According to Simon McCarthy-Jones, who studies clinical psychology and neuropsychology at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, the concept of the right wing originated with the French National Assembly in 1789.

In the French parliament at the time, those who supported giving the king a veto were to gather on the right side of the chamber, hence the origin of the word right-wing, which today has a broader meaning. I now have one.

Typical examples of right-wing positions include ``conservatism,'' which values tradition and order, ``nationalism,'' which promotes popular sovereignty and national identity, and supports free markets, minimal economic intervention, and so-called small government. There is such a thing as ``neoliberalism.'' Other non-traditional versions of the right continue to emerge, including radicals such as the far right and alt-right, and new forms called national conservatism and post-liberalism.



◆Right wing from a scientific perspective
Because of these diverse meanings, it is difficult to define what exactly right-wing is, but a 2022

study of approximately 5,000 Americans found that those who identify as right-wing or conservative It turns out that the more people, the more likely they are to agree with the following five ideas.

・1. belief in hierarchy
The strongest sign of being politically right-wing is that you believe the world is hierarchical. This means that it considers all beings, from humans to animals to objects, to be rankable based on their importance, quality, and value. It's important to note here that people on the right don't necessarily want the world to be hierarchical, they just perceive it to be that way.

・2. The feeling that the universe has a purpose
The survey found that people on the right tend to believe that there is more to the universe than just the mechanical motion of molecules. In other words, right-wingers believed that the universe was alive in a certain sense, and often felt that there was some deep reason or meaning behind events.

・3. current tolerance
Right-wingers had a strong tendency to accept things as they are, rather than constantly trying to improve the world. In other words, the right did not see the world as something that needed to be fixed or changed.

·Four. resistance to new experiences
Being right-wing was associated with a certain reluctance to try new things. This means opposing the idea that you should try everything at least once, because it must be worth it.

·Five. belief in a just world
People on the right tended to believe that if they worked hard and were kind to others, they would be rewarded.



◆What makes people right-wing?
There is a myth that as you get older, your ideas become more rigid and you lean to the right, but according to McCarthy Jones, in reality, many people's political views often remain the same throughout their lives.

Genes are said to have a stronger influence on thoughts than age. Twin

studies have shown that about 40% of differences in political beliefs are heritable, and some researchers believe that genes influence aspects of personality, such as openness to experience, and that They suggest that it shapes political views.

It has also been suggested that genes play a role in sensitivity to threats from changes in the environment, which may contribute to the formation of right-wing beliefs.

Factors other than genes are known to include education, brain structure, and social circumstances. For example, research shows that right-wing youth are more likely to have spent their childhoods with authoritarian parents.

Additionally, research has shown that right-wing youth have larger amygdalae , a part of the brain associated with responses to fear and uncertainty, and that they face more threats, including unemployment rates, inflation rates, and murder rates. There is also a paper that shows that right-wing ideology becomes more common in the region.



Difference between right wing and left wing
These findings may lead some people to believe that right-wing views are due to fear or a lack of challenge. In fact, right-wingers are often labeled as ``

mentally challenged '' or ` `racist .''

However, in reality, being right-wing does not mean that you are psychologically unhealthy, nor does it mean that happiness, life satisfaction, and low self-esteem are related to right-wing ideology.

In addition, people on the left place importance on preventing harm and equality, while people on the right place importance on respect for authority, purity, loyalty, etc., so Mr. McCarthy-Jones 'We shouldn't assume that the right is immoral. They just have a different moral foundation than the left.'

On the other hand, a myth that cannot be dismissed as a myth is that ``right-wing people are more stupid than bad.'' In fact, research shows that people with lower thinking skills are more likely to support right-wing beliefs, and there is a link between conservative political beliefs and a lower ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Studies have also been reported .

On the other hand, there are studies that argue that people with right-wing attitudes toward economic policy have higher thinking abilities, and literature that argues that authoritarian left-wingers have lower thinking abilities, and that right-wing people have lower cognitive abilities. Another theory is that they may simply be less motivated to perform well on cognitive tasks.



“Most importantly, these studies and findings say nothing about whether right-wing ideologies are correct or not. Therefore, the correctness of an ideology is not about who is propounding it, but what it means. McCarthy-Jones points out.

McCarthy-Jones continued, ``As our society becomes increasingly politically divided, we need to acknowledge different perspectives in order to foster dialogue and mutual understanding. So come election time, We should not label or slander them, but rather have a debate based on principles.'

in Note, Posted by log1l_ks