In the past week…

I was at the hardware store at 7am and was the only car in the parking lot. It was a huge parking lot with spaces for hundreds of cars.

As I was loading my purchased items into my car, with both of my back doors open, two cars entered the parking lot. One of the cars pulled up next to me, as if to park on my passenger side, hesitated, and then pulled in and through to the spot on the opposite side (her car now facing out). The second car, arriving from the other direction, pulled up and waited until I closed my driver-side door so it could park in the spot next to me.

Again, there were spots everywhere – many closer to the front door. Yet, these two had to park right next to me.

I was leaving the grocery store, and two people were camped out having a conversation right in the doorway. People were coming and going, all having to maneuver to get past them. They just stood there and kept going.

I was waiting to cross a busy four-lane highway. My goal was to cross when traffic allowed, so I didn’t activate the walk light and stop the flow of traffic.

The side to my left was empty, and I could see the gap in the traffic on the other side and to my right, so I proceeded halfway across and waited for the last car before the gap to pass so I could cross. Except the driver I was waiting for slowed down, presumably because the driver didn’t know what I was going to do.

I guess, in his mind, it was a possibility I would hurl myself in front of his car as he was passing.

He ended up proceeding on his way, but by slowing down, it allowed the cars behind him to catch up, removing the gap I was counting on to cross.

I was driving behind a car going 35 mph in a 40 mph speed zone. There was no way to pass or get around, so I rode it out, curious what he was going to do when the speed limit changed to 30 mph a half mile ahead.

Not at all to my surprise, the driver continued driving 35 mph in the 30 mph zone.

In all cases, I could only conclude I was dealing with liberals.

Conservatives are generally conscious of what other people around them are doing. They’re thoughtful and considerate, and try to accomplish whatever they’re doing without interrupting or adversely affecting those around them.

Every one of these people was completely unaware that there might even be other people around other than themselves. They showed no signs of understanding how they might be affecting others or what the others around them may be trying to do themselves.

Sure, we all are prone to daydreaming when engaging in the mundane or routine, but conservatives, by their very nature, are far more aware of their surroundings and what the people around them are doing or trying to accomplish.

Many people think conservatism or liberalism are limited to political philosophies, but I think they’re extensions of personality traits and that those traits can predict people’s politics.

Conservatism and liberalism aren’t just confined to policy stances. They’re worldviews that are dictated by people’s personalities. Show me someone who’s self-centered, insecure, and arrogant, and I’ll show you a liberal.

This doesn’t account for those who think they’re Democrats but live their lives as conservatives. That’s more a matter of how poorly the Republicans have done articulating, defending, or even understanding the conservative brand.

This site is dedicated to the study of people and what they do that makes them conservative or liberal. It’s the study of who conservatives are and why they do what they do. The examples above are just part of our studies.