Are Leftists Smarter?
“People take care of their hair every day. Why don’t they take care of their hearts?” Seems like a smart saying, right? These words come from the mind of Ernesto Che Guevara, the famous revolutionary. Many other historical phrases of this spirit have survived to this day. Does this have anything to do with his leftist ideology? A study conducted by Brock University says it does.
Research on left-wing intelligence by Brock University
According to the results obtained by researchers at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, those who scored lower on intelligence tests as children grow up to have right-wing ideologies and racist and homophobic tendencies.
To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers relied on two studies conducted in the United Kingdom in the years 1958 and 1970. In these studies, intelligence levels were calculated for thousands of children aged 10 and 11, who then responded to political questions when they were 33 years old.
Among the questions the adult subjects were asked to answer, they were asked about their prejudices about being neighbors of someone of a different race and about their concerns about the division of work.
Other questions related to themes of conservative political ideology, such as tightening penalties for offenders and showing children the need to obey authority.
Are leftists really smarter?
According to the researchers , the less intelligent people are on the right side of the political spectrum, because they feel safer there.
For the creators of this scientific study, it is the innate intelligence that determines the level of racism in a person, much more than the upbringing. Social status does not play a key role in this either.
Cognitive skills are the key to having an open mind. This means that people with low or very low cognitive abilities choose conservative ideologies, because of the sense of order they provide. This is one of the other conclusions of the study.
Innate Intelligence
This means that according to the research published by Brock University, innate intelligence is very determinant in which ideology a person ultimately adopts. Does this mean that being right-wing is synonymous with stupidity? Absolutely not.
Today, ideologies around the world have gotten a bit tangled up. Nothing is what it seems. Can we see a communist regime and the suffering in North Korea as left-wing? The people there have become accustomed to living under the command of a dictator who says he follows a progressive ideology, but he controls the fate of millions with an iron fist.
There are other examples around the world where attempts have been made to establish leftist and communist regimes, with little success. Russia and Cuba have suffered massive oppression of the population during a dictatorship. This eventually ended with the mandate of a leader like Stalin or Castro, with little access to freedom or thought.
Ultimately , it is important to have an open and curious mind. Learn from all the people who have something to contribute to your life. Even the people you think are bad or stupid can show you the paths not to follow.
And at the very least, boost your emotional intelligence. Be sensitive to all kinds of trends and ways of being and lead a full and happy life. As Ernesto Che Guevara said, if you can have beautiful hair, you can also have a noble and beautiful heart.
