Summary of The psychology of political conservatism & system justification | John Jost - ISF Podcast E22

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00:00:00 - 01:00:00

John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism, focusing on the idea that people who are politically conservative tend to justify their beliefs systemically, rather than considering other viewpoints. Jost argues that conservatives are more likely to accept and justify the status quo, even when it is not necessarily great for them.

00:00:00 John Jost discusses his research on system justification theory, conservatism, and the psychological significance of a political distinction. He says that being truly educated is an attitude of being curious and interested in learning more, and that it's never completed.
00:05:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism, focusing on the idea that people who are politically conservative tend to justify their beliefs systemically, rather than considering other viewpoints. He also discusses his own upbringing, which was characterized by intense academic pressure and a desire to succeed in various fields. John concludes by discussing his current work as a professor and his experience as a parent.
00:10:00 John Jost discusses how his upbringing influenced his interest in political ideologies, specifically conservatism and system justification. He discusses how, as a child, he enjoyed playing cowboys and indians and how this eventually led to his interest in political ideologies. He discusses how, while in graduate school, he came across a passage from James Baldwin that made him realize that conservatism and system justification can actually be morally harmful.
00:15:00 System justification theory explains why people defend and justify the status quo, even when it is not necessarily great for them.
00:20:00 System justification is a psychological process that allows people to maintain their beliefs in the legitimacy of a system, even when confronted with evidence to the contrary. This can lead to people justifying actions that are harmful or unjustified, such as supporting the actions of the Nazis during World War II.
00:25:00 In this video, John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism and system justification. He notes that people on the extreme right will also see society as being impure, and that rationalization is a coping mechanism that can be adaptive under certain circumstances. He also discusses Jonathan Hyde's arguments that microaggressions don't exist and that liberals who worry about them are making a big deal out of nothing. Jost argues that Hyde is a system system justifier in good ways and a bad way, and that when we apply it to social justice, we are not having the wisdom to know the difference.
00:30:00 Conservatives are more likely to accept and justify the status quo, while liberals are more likely to challenge it. The article referenced in the video was written in 2003, which marks the beginning of John Jost's research on the psychology of political conservatism.
00:35:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of conservatism and system justification, noting that while conservatives may be reluctant to embrace change, they often accept it gradually over time. He also speaks with Ezra Klein about this topic, who notes that polarization and conflict are increasing on both sides of the political aisle.
00:40:00 John Jost discusses the distinction between political conservatism and psychological conservatism, and how the two are correlated. He also discusses his views on anarchism and how he would classify himself.
00:45:00 John Jost discusses how his politics and psychology intersect, and how he believes that socialism can provide a more fulfilling existence for those who have seen it in action.
00:50:00 John Jost discusses how conservatives tend to see socialism as a much worse option than capitalism, and how this psychological trait can help to justify conservatism.
00:55:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism, stressing that it is a natural psychological impulse that can go astray when applied to matters of social justice. He also discusses Jordan Peterson, a Canadian professor and popular conservative commentator, who he regards as the "Ezra Pound of psychology."

01:00:00 - 01:40:00

John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism and system justification. He argues that conservatives are more dogmatic than liberals, and that this dogmatism is associated with poorer cognitive abilities. He also discusses how mindfulness meditation may be an effective way to overcome system justification.

01:00:00 The speaker discusses how conservatives are more rigid in their thinking, which can lead to dangerous consequences. He also discusses how liberals can be just as rigid in their thinking, and how domain specificity can be an obstacle to understanding these tendencies.
01:05:00 John Jost's research suggests that conservatives are more dogmatic than liberals, and this dogmatism is associated with poorer cognitive abilities.
01:10:00 John Jost discusses how being smart doesn't necessarily mean that someone will be resistant to system justification, and that personality might play a role in someone's ability to think deeply about information. He also mentions research that suggests that intelligence is associated with liberalism and conservatism, and that cognitive abilities are beneficial for making better judgments.
01:15:00 John Jost discusses the dual process model of political conservatism and system justification, highlighting the ways in which more informed and educated conservatives are more skeptical of climate change than those who are less informed and educated. He also discusses how mindfulness meditation may be an effective way to overcome system justification.
01:20:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism and how it differs from that of liberalism. He argues that conservatism is based on five moral foundations which are all equally valuable, but that liberals understand these values in conflict more than conservatives do. Jost believes that the cynical view that conservatives win in morality is silly.
01:25:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism and system justification, highlighting the differences between the first and second halves of his book "The Righteous Mind." He argues that, contrary to what proponents of moral foundations theory claim, the cognitive foundations of morality are based solely on the avoidance of harm.
01:30:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism and system justification. He argues that liberals need to take conservative morality seriously, as those representations might be completely false. Jost also discusses his work on gifted education and how it has shaped his vision for education. He says that parents should balance individual and social interests when deciding about their children's schooling.
01:35:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism and system justification. He discusses how political polarization between left and right is a big part of what's happening in the education struggle, and how education levels keep going up, which is a good thing. He also discusses his favorite books and non-fiction.
01:40:00 John Jost discusses the psychology of political conservatism and how it can help justify systems and systems of thought. He speaks to Jordan Peterson about Twitter tire rates and how he will defend him if he launches any more.