The Sunlight Exposure Theory of Political Preference

gretchen

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http://neuropolitics.org/SunlightTheory.asp

This is an old article from the 2000s. It says sunlight drives conservatism via neuroendocrine hormonal manipulation:

But a Sunlight Exposure Theory of Political Preference explains the correlation between birth rates and sunlight exposure via increased testosterone and estrogen levels. That same elevation in testosterone and estrogen also promotes the release of dopamine, and the left-hemisphere is organized around a dopaminergic activation system. Conservatives in general exhibit more left-hemisphere cognitive styles than do Liberals. Sunlight's concurrent priming of the sex hormones and the left hemisphere's dopaminergic activation system could explain the elevated birth rates and the relative scarcity of caucasian liberalism beneath the 36 parallel, especially in the areas with higher average sunlight intensity.
 

Brian

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Interesting. A high population density has also been correlated closely with liberal political identity. The theory I remember was that population density usually leads to developing an openness to new experiences and ideas, and therefore political beliefs that center more around change and experimentation.

Big-city dwellers probably also receive less sunlight than the average small town person who lives on the solar rhythm, and I agree that could potentially have significant effects on the dopaminergic system, but I'm still unclear what influence that would have on political preference.
 
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gretchen

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Brian said:
Interesting. A high population density has also been correlated closely with liberal political identity. The theory I remember was that population density usually leads to developing an openness to new experiences and ideas, and therefore political beliefs that center more around change and experimentation.

Big-city dwellers probably also receive less sunlight than the average small town person who lives on the solar rhythm, and I agree that could potentially have significant effects on the dopaminergic system, but I'm still unclear what influence that would have on political preference.

What about Salt Lake City? It's a big city and heavily conservative and closed minded due to the overwhelming influence of the Mormon church. It's also pretty far north and doesn't get that much sun. Their idea of openness to new things is building outdoor malls like City Creek.

Austin, otoh, is in the sun belt and is filled with dopamine-enhanced outdoors enthusiasts who insist that the city be kept "weird" and complain endlessly about being surrounded by a too-conservative rest of Texas. I've read the area scores high on neuroticism, despite the heavy sun exposure. It seems the liberalism could be the result of social engineering.
 

pboy

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na Austin is actually surprisingly legit, there is still a lot of typical Texan people...I live right near there a lil south and used to party with friends at university, and just went with fam multiple times to parks and what not. In general they keep the city much more natural than other large cities in texas, theres more larger trees and water bodies. If you go too far form the university and down town..its pretty much just like any other city. Its mostly the university where the liberalism stems from, its one of those things that gets absorbed by new people and just passed on and on. Those people generally have the bigger mouths so it seems the whole city is like that, but it really is a radiance thing...not the whole city is like that. Its kind of just an average place, but in certain areas its very nice relatively and more like that. You'll find many cool people and beautiful ladies. But at the same time a lot of the people are just hipsters and don't really get it, they just kind of try to fit in. Theres really a huge distinction and clear difference between the people. The cooler more liberal people are extremely friendly and basically its a free for all, people hang out with ltos of different people, go in and out of eachothers places, and generally are more into just having fun and being chill. The other dudes around there, the typical big ranch Texan white beef dudes with pickup trucks and all that, aren't like that at all. They want to party to just try to maintain a macho image, don't let people they don't know around, and talk ***t about everyone else, and just drink beer like good Texans but don't do anything else that's 'hippie' or really anything, and they all about their business and burning petro and chopping down trees and all that. It was interesting to experience the dichotomy

I highly doubt sunlight has to do with conservatism, id actually suspect it to be the opposite. Only a sun starved person would even make that notion in the first place. The more people are out in the sun and have parks and things, the less they even care or the thought of anything political enters their mind. Its obvious that people are naturally good and get along and don't destroy beauty, when actually given the opportunity to be human in a natural nurturing warm sunny clean place. How many people on the beach are talking politics? how many people on the beach start fights? (besides like spring break college drunk tirades)
 
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gretchen

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pboy said:
na Austin is actually surprisingly legit, there is still a lot of typical Texan people...I live right near there a lil south and used to party with friends at university, and just went with fam multiple times to parks and what not. In general they keep the city much more natural than other large cities in texas, theres more larger trees and water bodies. If you go too far form the university and down town..its pretty much just like any other city. Its mostly the university where the liberalism stems from, its one of those things that gets absorbed by new people and just passed on and on. Those people generally have the bigger mouths so it seems the whole city is like that, but it really is a radiance thing...not the whole city is like that. Its kind of just an average place, but in certain areas its very nice relatively and more like that. You'll find many cool people and beautiful ladies. But at the same time a lot of the people are just hipsters and don't really get it, they just kind of try to fit in. Theres really a huge distinction and clear difference between the people. The cooler more liberal people are extremely friendly and basically its a free for all, people hang out with ltos of different people, go in and out of eachothers places, and generally are more into just having fun and being chill. The other dudes around there, the typical big ranch Texan white beef dudes with pickup trucks and all that, aren't like that at all. They want to party to just try to maintain a macho image, don't let people they don't know around, and talk s*** about everyone else, and just drink beer like good Texans but don't do anything else that's 'hippie' or really anything, and they all about their business and burning petro and chopping down trees and all that. It was interesting to experience the dichotomy

I highly doubt sunlight has to do with conservatism, id actually suspect it to be the opposite. Only a sun starved person would even make that notion in the first place. The more people are out in the sun and have parks and things, the less they even care or the thought of anything political enters their mind. Its obvious that people are naturally good and get along and don't destroy beauty, when actually given the opportunity to be human in a natural nurturing warm sunny clean place. How many people on the beach are talking politics? how many people on the beach start fights? (besides like spring break college drunk tirades)

Actually, Austin has actively branded itself as a liberal Mecca. I lived there back in the day and all I met were weird people, all over town, every day. Sure back then the NW hills were normal, and I liked to creep around there some too, but literally the entire rest of the town used to be filled with eccentrics. Well, ok, except for the Dallas kids and the Greek crowd. I never met any "Texas ranch white beef dudes".

The rest of sun drenched Texas is very conservative and so is all the surrounding hill country area near Austin. Sunny Florida is conservative. The theory totally explains the Deep South.

Dark places make people whiny, neurotic serotonergic liberals, generally. Look at the northern states. The Obamas couldn't be happy with 6 figures and now live in extravagant luxury. Maybe it's the exercise.

The blogger has an archive of blogs tooled around the idea. Seems they have tried to explain the gamut of right vs left politics through brain chemistry:
http://neuropolitics.org/backissues.asp
 

pboy

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you're trippin, im not political at all, im conservative about some things, liberal about others..its so stupid labeling things in that black and white way, like...its ******* gross, the whole vibe of politics, its dehumanizing and rigid. I hate even using those words to describe anything about myself, in reality they are a nasty vibe. Im a normal human...im not that whole thing

ive grown up in sunny weather my whole life and all sun does is give more energy for intelligent thinking. You can do whatever you want with it. The idea of conservative OR liberal...a joke. How about human making decisions based on reality and some level of understanding of how life and the things we use operate, some level of understanding what makes people happy...ultimately people wouldn't even need rules or laws, simply basic procedures for the ease of communication, using common sense and with care

people in my own family, im way different than most of them in most ways. We grew up in same house, same schools, same food choices, ect. Ive met people in the same neighborhood that are way different in most ways

if sun does indeed activate more dopaminergic center of brain, all that means is it supports creative thought, which is subject to the individual
 

narouz

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gretchen said:
Actually, Austin has actively branded itself as a liberal Mecca. I lived there back in the day and all I met were weird people, all over town, every day. Sure back then the NW hills were normal, and I liked to creep around there some too, but literally the entire rest of the town used to be filled with eccentrics. Well, ok, except for the Dallas kids and the Greek crowd. I never met any "Texas ranch white beef dudes".

The rest of sun drenched Texas is very conservative and so is all the surrounding hill country area near Austin. Sunny Florida is conservative. The theory totally explains the Deep South.

Dark places make people whiny, neurotic serotonergic liberals, generally. Look at the northern states. The Obamas couldn't be happy with 6 figures and now live in extravagant luxury. Maybe it's the exercise.

The blogger has an archive of blogs tooled around the idea. Seems they have tried to explain the gamut of right vs left politics through brain chemistry:
http://neuropolitics.org/backissues.asp

gretchen-
I have to think, based upon the many posts of yours I've read,
that you would easily qualify as an eccentric.
"Eccentric" meaning not typical; not in the mainstream or center; unusual.
I'm not attaching "good" or "bad" to that,
because people can be unusual (eccentric) in good ways and in bad ways.
Just commenting simply
that your posts indicate to me that you clearly hold or entertain many very unusual views.
I mean, just your strong interest in Peat...that is eccentric.

ec·cen·tric
ikˈsentrik
adjective
1.
(of a person or their behavior) unconventional and slightly strange.
"my favorite aunt is very eccentric"
synonyms: unconventional, uncommon, abnormal, irregular, aberrant, anomalous, odd, queer, strange, peculiar, weird, bizarre, outlandish, freakish, extraordinary;
 
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gretchen

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^^ yes, narouz, you could be right.

pboy says,
"if sun does indeed activate more dopaminergic center of brain, all that means is it supports creative thought, which is subject to the individual"

Actually, the neuropolitics bloggers theory is that dopamine makes you more left brained, which makes you more linear and less creative.
 

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