Nature Nurture Nietzsche

Whenever I go over to The Nature-Nurture-Nietzsche Newsletter I find something interesting. The site tends to discussing sex differences and gender bias, Politics and perception of issues, and philosophy of science. Most of the articles have a graph and a couple of paragraphs, with the remainder of the article for subscribers only. That is often enough for me, as the linked paper is above the fold if I want to go look at it. (The title always diverts me into thinking Kinder, Kuche, Kirche because of alliteration and Nietzsche being German.  So now you are stuck with that association too.)

This week it is The Psychology of Political Extremism.  He writes often about how the prevailing view for the last 60 or more years is that Republicans and the right wing are much more likely to be conspiracist, paranoid, and violent, but the evidence is much more balanced.

A recent paper by Jan-Willem van Prooijen and André Krouwel explores the psychology of political extremists on both ends of the spectrum. It identifies four key traits that both tend to have in common, and which distinguish them from moderates:

1. Psychological distress

2. Cognitive simplicity

3. Overconfidence

4. Intolerance