What characterization of your side do you dislike the most?

[Meh Gerbil]

For me I really, really dislike the characterization of conservatives as stupid.

I'd be the first to admit that some are definitely very, very stupid but I think contentment is often misread as ignorance. For example, if a boy grows up on a farm and enjoys that type of life he may go on to inherit his father's estate, continue to farm, and never leave a 50 mile radius of where he was born. On some level he's damned as stupid because he doesn't know what it's like to go to a dance club in France. It never works the other way. A liberal isn't thought of as stupid if they don't know how to gut a brook trout.

Some liberals are very smart but some of them wrap themselves in cynicism, read books by authors who should have probably never been published, and pull out complex terms used to shroud destructive and idiotic ideas - and the vocabulary, the name dropping, the feigned world weariness all pass as intelligence when it is actually just a pile of pOOp.

Part of this objection is that I'm just beginning to reject the idea that books smarts is the only type of smarts that matter. I've a tendency to be book smart but there are other types of smarts that make the world go round and I think those should start getting some respect (yes, even in the form of income). I've tendency to suspect that thinking of other people as stupid is a serious character flaw and the sign of a rather inflated ego. I say that even though I've fooled myself with the idea of thinking other people are stupid for a very long time.

[Meh Gerbil]

Please stick to the topic on this thread.
Posting links to articles that confirm stereotypes of the other side will be reported.

[Bill the Cat]

I dislike the characterization of Pro-Life not caring about children once they are born. The fact of the matter is that pro-life conservatives are just as , if not more so, generous when it comes to donating to food banks, adopting, and individually providing for the poor.

[One Bad Pig]

For me I really, really dislike the characterization of conservatives as stupid.

I'd be the first to admit that some are definitely very, very stupid but I think contentment is often misread as ignorance. For example, if a boy grows up on a farm and enjoys that type of life he may go on to inherit his father's estate, continue to farm, and never leave a 50 mile radius of where he was born. On some level he's damned as stupid because he doesn't know what it's like to go to a dance club in France. It never works the other way. A liberal isn't thought of as stupid if they don't know how to gut a brook trout.

Some liberals are very smart but some of them wrap themselves in cynicism, read books by authors who should have probably never been published, and pull out complex terms used to shroud destructive and idiotic ideas - and the vocabulary, the name dropping, the feigned world weariness all pass as intelligence when it is actually just a pile of pOOp.

Part of this objection is that I'm just beginning to reject the idea that books smarts is the only type of smarts that matter. I've a tendency to be book smart but there are other types of smarts that make the world go round and I think those should start getting some respect (yes, even in the form of income). I've tendency to suspect that thinking of other people as stupid is a serious character flaw and the sign of a rather inflated ego. I say that even though I've fooled myself with the idea of thinking other people are stupid for a very long time.

No, there really are a lot of stupid people out there. However, they're pretty well distributed all over the ideological spectrum. I agree that book smart is far from the only type of smart.

[Sea of red]

Good thread.

The one characterization about the left that gets on my nerves more than anything is that we are "politically correct" and that the lack of communication in our culture is entirely our fault. I feel conservatives do more than their fair share of trying to control debate, and trying to destroy people that disagree with them.

The whole 'book smart' vs 'street smart' thing is something I've never really understood. There's really no such thing anymore, everyone is a book smart. That same boy that grows crops no doubt has also obtained knowledge of agriculture through books, along with the experience he gained in the field. I think what you're trying to say is that not everyone is interested in learning deeply about politics, economics, or human origins. Some people just want to be blue collar, learn their trade well, and be left alone. I'm fine with that as long as they appreciate that other people are more informed, and perhaps know better when political issues arise concerning those topics, and stay out of democratic votes if they are confused.

[One Bad Pig]

Good thread.

The one characterization about the left that gets on my nerves more than anything is that we are "politically correct" and that the lack of communication in our culture is entirely our fault. I feel conservatives do more than their fair share of trying to control debate, and trying to destroy people that disagree with them.

The whole 'book smart' vs 'street smart' thing is something I've never really understood. There's really no such thing anymore, everyone is a book smart. That same boy that grows crops no doubt has also obtained knowledge of agriculture through books, along with the experience he gained in the field. I think what you're trying to say is that not everyone is interested in learning deeply about politics, economics, or human origins. Some people just want to be blue collar, learn their trade well, and be left alone. I'm fine with that as long as they appreciate that other people are more informed, and perhaps know better when political issues arise concerning those topics, and stay out of democratic votes if they are confused.

Well, not everyone is book smart. I knew a guy in high school who was a wizard at fixing electronics, but he had a really difficult time graduating high school (it took 4 years of summer school). I also have a cousin who is a surgeon. Her younger brother works at Burger King, and barely graduated high school. He can't be that much less smart than her; he's just unwilling to apply himself.

[Sea of red]

Well, not everyone is book smart. I knew a guy in high school who was a wizard at fixing electronics, but he had a really difficult time graduating high school (it took 4 years of summer school). I also have a cousin who is a surgeon. Her younger brother works at Burger King, and barely graduated high school. He can't be that much less smart than her; he's just unwilling to apply himself.

A lot of that is due to social environments and social anxiety - some people simply do not perform well in groups.

Believe it or not, I only got into science around fourteen. Before that I was piss poor at it and had no interest in a career doing it all. The point that things started to 'click' for me was when I began reading popular science books on my own, and working on my math skills outside of school. There was one summer where I went from being mediocre at algebra 1 to being able to keep up with calculus 2 lectures. Funny enough, the teachers were taking credit for my sudden burst in skills, when it had nothing to do with them. Goes to show you how out of touch they truly where with reality.

[Meh Gerbil]

The one characterization about the left that gets on my nerves more than anything is that we are "politically correct" and that the lack of communication in our culture is entirely our fault. I feel conservatives do more than their fair share of trying to control debate, and trying to destroy people that disagree with them.

I can confirm that conservative environments can be oppressively politically correct; they just have a different set of 'correct'.
I think the term politically correct is applied to liberals because the suppression of free speech seems so very out of place coming from their camp.

[Meh Gerbil]

Believe it or not, I only got into science around fourteen. Before that I was piss poor at it and had no interest in a career doing it all. The point that things started to 'click' for me was when I began reading popular science books on my own, and working on my math skills outside of school. There was one summer where I went from being mediocre at algebra 1 to being able to keep up with calculus 2 lectures. Funny enough, the teachers were taking credit for my sudden burst in skills, when it had nothing to do with them. Goes to show you how out of touch they truly where with reality.

At that age I was teaching myself to program.
There was no 'Google' at the time and textbooks on the topic were very rare.
I tried to get additional instruction from a community center but when I showed the instructors what I'd done they all just stood around and wondered about it.

I gravitate to computers because I hate working with people and team environments make breathing difficult for me.

[Sea of red]

A lot of that is due to social environments and social anxiety - some people simply do not perform well in groups.

Believe it or not, I only got into science around fourteen. Before that I was piss poor at it and had no interest in a career doing it all. The point that things started to 'click' for me was when I began reading popular science books on my own, and working on my math skills outside of school. There was one summer where I went from being mediocre at algebra 1 to being able to keep up with calculus 2 lectures. Funny enough, the teachers were taking credit for my sudden burst in skills, when it had nothing to do with them. Goes to show you how out of touch they truly where with reality.

On second thought, maybe they weren't so far off after all.

[Meh Gerbil]

On second thought, maybe they weren't so far off after all.

Langauge skils our overated.

[JonathanL]

Langauge skils our overated.

Say a boot it to me.

[Meh Gerbil]

I don't like it that conservatives are always depicted as drop-dead-sexy.
That is disrespectful.

[EvoUK]

I can confirm that conservative environments can be oppressively politically correct; they just have a different set of 'correct'.
I think the term politically correct is applied to liberals because the suppression of free speech seems so very out of place coming from their camp.

My gripe i suppose would be the lumping of the left/progressives with this new regressive left thing that's becoming the thing now.

As for my explanation of the regressive left, they're the people who are seeking to dictate gender pronouns, state that people are racist subconsciously and need training to combat this, demand people do not wear certain items of clothing (cultural appropriation), etc. These are not liberal values. There's no hope of defeating conservatives if the left goes off the deep end.

[Meh Gerbil]

My gripe i suppose would be the lumping of the left/progressives with this new regressive left thing that's becoming the thing now.

As for my explanation of the regressive left, they're the people who are seeking to dictate gender pronouns, state that people are racist subconsciously and need training to combat this, demand people do not wear certain items of clothing (cultural appropriation), etc. These are not liberal values. There's no hope of defeating conservatives if the left goes off the deep end.

Good comment.

The bug-eyed loonies that are going fetal when they loose an election are really making the left look bad. Add to that, as you've stated, the horrible way they're horning in on stuff that isn't any of their business and you've got a real liability. Now you know what it is like to be on the right when some jerk in Nazi regalia shows up at one of your events. I say we put both extremes on an island and let them fight it out. Once one side wins, you nuke the island.