r/askanything • u/SignificantCrow • 5h ago

Political Question Are Republicans inherently selfish?

Not referring to every individual obviously but as a whole, compared to democrats/independents they seem to really only care about themselves or their immediate family and pretty much have a “f**k em” attitude towards literally everyone else. Does anyone else feel this way?

This would explain why so many are against social policies but have no issue dumping much more money into the military instead, for example.

0 Upvotes

49% Upvoted

733 comments sorted by

View all comments

25

u/I_make_poor_decisons 5h ago

Humans are inherently selfish. 

5

u/Ok-Incident8440 4h ago

Not at all. Humans being communal is what allowed us to progress as a species

1

u/Least_Art5238 4h ago

Selfishness had led to breakthroughs. Communal thinking has led to protecting the most vulnerable. There is a virtuous circle where the right balance and alternating of examples of the two has led to the quickest progress.

6

u/Financial_Molasses67 5h ago

This isn’t really helpful for answering OP’s question

5

u/Kindly_Honeydew3432 5h ago

It was another way of saying “yes”

1

u/Financial_Molasses67 5h ago

I should’ve picked up on that

1

u/JollyRoger66689 5h ago

Lol yes it was, it's just saying that it isn't more true for Republicans than democrats. Weird that you needed this spelled out

2

u/Financial_Molasses67 4h ago edited 4h ago

OP clearly wants to know if Republicans are generally more selfish than Democrats. Weird that you needed this spelled out

0

u/JollyRoger66689 4h ago

I am aware that is what OP wanted to know, the comment says people in general are, suggesting that it isn't more true for Republicans. Not sure where you are getting lost

2

u/Financial_Molasses67 4h ago

I don’t think the OP is asking about innate characteristics. I think they are more concerned with ideological influences on selfishness, hence making a distinction between republicans and democrats, characteristics that aren’t innate. Yes, everybody is selfish. Now let’s address what OP is really asking

0

u/JollyRoger66689 4h ago

The title literally uses the word inherently, asking if the policies are more selfish is different than asking if the people are more selfish. You may disagree with what the comment is suggesting, but it did indeed answer OP's question

1

u/Financial_Molasses67 4h ago

Yeah, ok. Some of us aren’t as pedantic as you because it’s really not helpful, hence my initial comment

1

u/JollyRoger66689 4h ago

I'm not being pedantic, it's literally what OP was asking.... you being more concerned about other things doesn't change this

1

u/Financial_Molasses67 4h ago

For sure. I am the one who brought up Dems and Reps. My bad

→ More replies (0)

0

u/Altheajackstraw 5h ago

Yep, no one group is more selfish than another. If we can even call people “groups” humans are humans no matter how people “group” them

0

u/Imightbeafanofthis 4h ago

I can't quite agree with this. People who lean left tend to sympathize with groups that they are not a part of because they empathize with any group who is marginalized. People who lean right tend not to sympathize unless it affects them directly in some way, like they have an LGBT+ family member.

In a sense, yes, all are selfish because people who lean left are empathetic because it scratches their 'I am a good person'' itch. But in real terms, people who lean left are more empathetic.

1

u/Lakeview121 3h ago

It doesn’t matter if the compassion is somehow self serving, it still generally results in better policy and a better country.

1

u/Altheajackstraw 4h ago

Apathy is the opposite of empathy. Just because you empathize does not mean you’re not selfish.

0

u/_Darkstorm_ 4h ago

Agreed, but you can't discount either the fact that all cultural sub-groups have a re-enforcement factor when it comes to certain tendencies. "Tribalism" is still a thing. Here's something to think about that might be a little high-minded but it gives some insight on how it's all supposed to work:

https://www.highexistence.com/moral-matrix-jonathan-haidt-yin-and-yang/

-1

u/rexchampman 5h ago

Ding ding ding.

0

u/badnewscynic 4h ago

Agreed. I’ve grown up in a red state. I’ve met great people that more than likely vote republican, and great folks on the left like myself. I have also worked with some of the more liberal people with politics and lifestyle that would treat other people like dog shit. It was kind of an eye opener because they ran a social service non profit or either assisted with the Democrat party in our state.
I thought they stood for a “good cause.” But they just treated anyone outside of their immediate family or social circle like dog shit. Now I’m at the point where I don’t think personality should be reflective of how someone votes. Just vote for who you think will do best and that’s it. Go on living. Not easy to do I guess the way mass media portrays everything.

I’m above average intelligence. Vote dem usually, and I can tell you more about what Trump is doing wrong than I can with what is going on with my State Reps or state elected officials.

Edit: typo

0

u/No_Collection_5509 4h ago

There are a lot of fine left leaning people, there are not a lot of fine people who work in leftwing political orgs

0

u/badnewscynic 4h ago

lol… that is a much better way to put it. I grew up in small town, and was exposed to the more radical tactics of conservatives early on. I guess I was not expecting to see similar behaviors and tactics with the opposition when I moved to “the city.”

2

u/No_Collection_5509 4h ago

Its just human nature at the end of the day. People dress it up in whatever dogma appeals to them

0

u/InuHanyou1701 4h ago

Yep. This. I do think Conservatives as a whole focus more on themselves than most. But it’s not a uniquely conservative issue. It’s a human one. Liberals/Democrats are not immune, unfortunately.

0

u/Connect_Name3362 4h ago

Most people are able to understand that we're all better off if we help each other. Most animals understand that, down to ants and bees.

0

u/Roshprops 4h ago

I think it’s an evolutionary thing. I don’t get it, but my opinion is actively being bred out of existence.

0

u/Mouse-Stunning 4h ago

Humans also have the capacity for reason, empathy, and ethics - all of which can be used to curtail or limit the expression of that innate selfishness. Republicans just find ways to rationalize giving in to that instinct because it feels good.

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of Man's oldest exercises in philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness" - John K. Galbraith

-4

u/smea012 5h ago

It's associated with Republicans/Conservatives because they're able to say the obvious out loud.

8

u/Quorng 🦀 4h ago

Their conservatism is designed to conserve wealth for them and not you unless you are part of them. "Them"are wealthy Republicans; often politicians.