Hey, I found this interesting site where you are given questions, you answer a set of tests, and then based on the results, you are positioned on a quadrant graph on both the left to the right, or from libertarian to authoritarian status.

Just for kicks, take the test, share your results, and then discuss how relevant or meaningless this test is!
http://www.politicalcompass.org/



Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

"You'll find something that's enough to keep you
But if the bright lights don't receive you
You should turn yourself around and come back home" MB20

Yes, Marshalzu!



The graph is set up just like a X-Y graph in physics or algebra, etc. When you count a coordinate to the right of the Y axis, the number is positive, to the left it is negative. When you count a coordinate above the X axis, the number is positive, below it is negative.



By the way, if anyone is curious why I started this thread, it wasn't to make anyone feel exposed or anything and critique one another of how far to the left or the right, etc. we are.



I felt this was somewhat of a good way to understand where we all come from politically, as often we misunderstand one another and fail to connect. And when we evaluate each others scores, I don't want someone to think, "Oh, you are so far left, so of course you'd believe that!" or "Well, you're quite the authoritarian, so I expected you'd believe that!". Rather, we have to realize and understand we are all unique in our own ways, we all have different thoughts and approaches to the world, and, if anything, reveals the diversity and individuality of us all.

I feel culturally we're often put into a metonymy, with headlines always reading, "The U.S believes..." or "The U.S responded...", etc. I believe that's unhealthy. It sends out wrong information and the theory we all think the same way under what some think of as the "big machine". In a way, this sort of clears that misunderstanding and reminds everyone not everyone can expect to agree with everything you say and we must rather respect the diversity and fruitfulness of our ideas and thoughts, for dissent and diversity is what makes fruitful, healthy dialogue and development.

As my results show, I am very far to the left, and very far down in libertarian status, and in fact thus far I've had the highest libertarian score here, but it doesn't mean I am so biased my heart is closed steel doors to those on the right who have opinions of their own. I respect what they have to say and though I may disagree quite often, I believe they have ever so much to contribute, to build communities, and must be respected.

Of course, when you're young, your hormones are raging and you often have rebellious instincts because you're going through a difficult transition in life between staying in the nest and desiring to spread your wings and fly from the nest, so it could be I'm more liberal than I really am right now. Of course I do live quite an alternative lifestyle as well, so I do believe my results were pretty accurate.

God Bless You All!



Love,
Noah Eaton

[This message has been edited by Mistletoe Angel (11-27-2004 04:55 PM).]

Yeah, Alicat, I agree.

Like I admitted before, I find some of the questions were intentionally aimed one-way, in fact a good number of them have that compulsory atmosphere.

Take the question, "Good parents sometimes have to spank their children" for instance. I am opposed to spanking (could be because I have had a huge admiration for Benjamin Spock) but I respect everyone has their own idea of what makes a "good parent", etc. I wouldn't automatically call a parent a "bad parent" if they spanked their child even once, I just feel spanking doesn't teach anything and there are many better ways to discipline a child.

The question on abstract act and on being considered art or not is another good example. I had some Republican neighbors back in Colorado who had abstract act hung on their walls. There was one red box with blue squiggly lines and a diagonal yellow trapezoid one made from some artist from Nederland and I said, "I like your art!" and he said, "Yeah, this is one of my favorite artists!"

Finally, there's the question on pornography, and if that featuring consenting adults should be kept legalized for adults. I am in favor of pornography being kept legalized (except child pornography, of course, THAT shouldn't be allowed) because, after all, just about everyone in adolescence and beyond thinks about sex, so why should we hide it? I know there are so many to the right out there who are or were curious about this before in their lives, and I believe this is natural. Maybe this is just the Scorpio in me talking, but I am sure a majority would agree, even if they may not agree with keeping pornography legal, that they've had these strong feelings of curiosity and lust before.

Despite the unilateral atmosphere on a number of questions, this was a test worth taking I feel for the same reasons I made before.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

"You'll find something that's enough to keep you
But if the bright lights don't receive you
You should turn yourself around and come back home" MB20

Of course I knew that.

But it doesn't change the fact there is an intentional bias in the atmosphere and construction of some of the questions. It's all a one-way or the another approach on some. If you spank your child, you're on that side of the spectrum, if you don't, you're on the other side. If you think of abstract painting as art, you're on one side, if not, you're on the other side. If you think it's natural for kids to keep secrets from their parents, you must be on one side, but if you don't think so, you're surely on the other side.

I agree this test is designed to reveal the diversity between us all, and the complexities as well, and kind of paint a general picture of where we are positioned politically. I also just don't think it's fair to assume, "I do (or don't) think it's natural for kids to keep some secrets from their parents!" that it's surely a left or right or libertarian or authoritarian way of thinking, for I feel personally logocentrizing a question like that is a bit over the top.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

"You'll find something that's enough to keep you
But if the bright lights don't receive you
You should turn yourself around and come back home" MB20

quote:

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But it doesn't change the fact there is an intentional bias in the atmosphere and construction of some of the questions. It's all a one-way or the another approach on some. If you spank your child, you're on that side of the spectrum, if you don't, you're on the other side.

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quote:

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If you think of abstract painting as art, you're on one side, if not, you're on the other side.

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quote:

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If you think it's natural for kids to keep secrets from their parents, you must be on one side, but if you don't think so, you're surely on the other side.

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quote:

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I agree this test is designed to reveal the diversity between us all, and the complexities as well, and kind of paint a general picture of where we are positioned politically. I also just don't think it's fair to assume, "I do (or don't) think it's natural for kids to keep some secrets from their parents!" that it's surely a left or right or libertarian or authoritarian way of thinking, for I feel personally logocentrizing a question like that is a bit over the top.

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