False Dichotomies and The Genetics of Politics

Conservatives have a very different view of democracy, which follows their moral system. Their moral system is more complex than ours is. The basic idea in terms of economics is that democracy gives people the liberty to seek their self interest and their own well-being without worrying or being responsible for the well-being or interest of anybody else. Therefore they say everybody has individual responsibility, not social responsibility, therefore you’re on your own. If you make it that’s wonderful. That’s what the market is about. If you don’t make it, that’s your problem.

Actually, Lakoff is oversimplies at first, but then points out that a clear split in left/right poltics is simply another false dichotomy.  There are "hard-core Conservatives" who believe in charity and also desperately want people to be able to succeed, independently, which is different than not caring about what happens to them.  There are liberals who believe in the principle of moving forward together, but don't practice what they preach.

In reality, there's a bit of each perspective - survival-of-the-fittest and success of the collective - in each of us.  Where does the balance lie?  Can it change?  It can change, because of a thing called neuro-plasticity.  Where it resides is in our noggins - hypothamlus, amygdala, neo-cortex.  A process called cognitive behavioural therapy - kind of a physiotherapy for your brain - allows you to consciously repattern your thoughts so that you are less reactive and have more active control over how you feel and how you respond to the world.

Of course, you don't want to become too analytical, or you lose your capacity for action.  But you don't want to be shooting-from-the-hip, either.  So where's the sweet spot?

It's in managing both our biological evolutionary and social evolutionary drives in cheque.

Put in otherwords, it's where the wise folk of history have always taught us - balance lies in the centre.