Blinders

Social science has gone off the rails if the conclusion of this study is taken seriously:

Individuals with conservative ideologies are happier than liberal-leaners, and new research pinpoints the reason: Conservatives rationalize social and economic inequalities.

I’m sure that very few happy conservatives or liberals would count their ability to “rationalize social and economic inequalities” as the key to their happiness. How narrowly Marxist is this view of the world! What about having family and friends to love and be loved in return? What about the joy of learning? What about having worthwhile work which makes one want to get up in the morning?

I know an otherwise smart woman who holds thinness to be the be-all and end-all of individual worth. Just as much as these researchers, her eyes are enclosed by blinders. © 2008 Stephen Yuen