236
this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2026
236 points (95.7% liked)
Applied Psychology
502 readers
2 users here now
Like any other psychology sub, except only post psychology things that are immediately usable. For example, see the posts in this sub.
You can edit titles to make the how to apply this psychology to your life more obvious.
Related:
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
It wasn’t always this way. There used to be intellectual conservatives like William F Buckley. His kind is practically extinct now.
Here’s David Frum and Mona Charen essentially mourning over the lack of a party for them, since the complete takeover of the Republican Party by right wing populism.
In truth I consider myself conservative. I really consider most of this horde we are dealing with regressives. They call themselves conservative but are some of the most wasteful people I've ever seen. They waste so much time worriing about how others act and live. Very non conservative when these others rarely interact with these idiots. I'm forced to use conservative to refer to them due to the fact that so many will not take the time to give them a more accurate name.
Conservatism can be traced back to royalists in both pre-revolutionary America and France. It is as it always was. It has never been about conserving anything but privilege and has always sought control over everyone else.
What you call conservativism was a rather unconvincing PR campaign. It was never about personal liberty or freedom. It was definitely never about conservation.
I leaned what it is from my grandpa, not a history book. He was tolerant and treated it as the root word suggests. Most of those in the US today could not care less about your take on it. If you trace any word back in time you will arrive at a point where the meaning was different. I trouble myself with the now and care not for the use of it in the distant past. You case case in point for what I wrote above. Quit calling them that and give them a more accurate and less flattering description. Regressive has no positive qualities. Where conservative does in the modern definition.
Yeah... conservatives have always been regressives. After the french revolution, it was the conservatives that wanted to return back to a monarchy. I think you are confusing yourself with being a liberal.
I'm not. I'm also not confusing my self with a french revolutionary.
It would seem that my historical take on it is pretty relevant since it is still what conservatism is doing to this day. What is Trump if not royalty? I would be happy to go back to calling them royalists or autocrats, but I don't see that catching on.
There is a huge problem in this country with people who embrace progressive policy positions self-identifying as conservatives. It's used disingenuously by both parties to justify oligarchy.
Are you able to give examples of what beliefs/values you hold that make you consider yourself conservative? Your comment made me curious, because I would like to believe that conservative people who aren't repugnant people exist, but as time goes on, it feels like "conservative" is becoming synonymous with "reprehensible bigot". I sympathise with your desire to distance yourself from them, and I'd be interested to hear more about your perspective.
Feel free to reply by DM if you don't want to be interrogated on your beliefs if you answer my question. My intention isn't to try to change your mind or anything, but to learn enough that I'm able to imagine a world in which people like me and conservatives like you could collaborate on solving problems, and use our inevitable points of disagreement as steps towards a more robust solution.
The problem with using the word conservative these days leaves out there used to be differnt types.
I'm fiscally conservative, I spend money on what is of use to me and try not to waste it on useless frills, such as alcohol or drugs or expensive essentials.
I materially conservative. My car is sixteen years old and well maintained. My phone is seven years old. It replaced one that went out after eleven years.
I am morally conservative. That word doesn't mean what haters think it means. A moral cannot be negative to others. A moral that involves hate or judgment are no moral at all. They are simply hate in the form of bigotry and racism.
Finally I would consider myself socially liberal. I don't feel any conflict between these outlooks.
These have nothing to to with religion in any way. They have through the simplification of the word been thrown into the fire with these people who do not embody is real conservative values. They use the word as a cover for their hate. They are regressive. throwbacks who pine for some imagined past.
My manager considers himself conservative, yet when I push him on things regarding social welfare, corporate regulations, etc... He espouses liberal or even sometimes leftist views.
It is odd lol.