Useful Fools

Jon Ray points out that a big influence on political orientation is genetic (the Useful Fools gene, known to geneticists as Fool1):

There has been a recent claim that birth-order determines whether or not you are conservative or liberal. The evidence on birth-order effects has always shown them to be very slight however. The big influence on political orientation is genetic. The twin studies show that your politics are even more strongly inherited than how tall you are. You are either born with the personality needs that make you a Leftist or you are not. That is why arguing with Leftists is generally so futile. Only aging makes them more conservative, usually.

I had long suspected that “progressive” thinking is a result of a cognitive disorder. Now I have proof!