Maggie's Farm

A caveat: This is the sort of piece that I am always reluctant to write. I write this as a favor to our Editor but, in general, I am a skeptic about making any depth psychological speculations about groups of people, or about anyone I do not know in depth. It is all too easy to say that anyone who disagrees with me about something is either crazy or stupid, and that is not the respectful American way - nor is it necessarily accurate either.

What are we to make of this report from Gallup?

Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats or independents to rate their mental health as excellent, according to data from the last four November Gallup Health and Healthcare polls. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans report having excellent mental health, compared to 43% of independents and 38% of Democrats. This relationship between party identification and reports of excellent mental health persists even within categories of income, age, gender, church attendance, and education.

Dems see themselves as more mentally/emotionally impaired. (In an egregious logical error (cum hoc ergo propter hoc), the article suggests an independent causal relationship wherein party identification effects emotional well-being.)

Although I have no idea about whether a self-report of "mental health" has any validity at all, I would speculate that Republicans, statistically, with the Conservative and Libertarian flavorings of many Republicans, may tend to be more optimistic, hopeful, self-reliant, and to feel less needy and to feel less deprived. In other words, happier and probably better-adjusted people.

That is pure speculation, but it matches my personal experience that Lefies tend to be more bitter and dissatisfied - also with no relationship to income, education, church-going or age.

Externalization is a dangerous defence mechanism. It distorts reality by permitting a person to imagine that happiness and peace of mind - and likewise unhappiness - are usually generated externally rather than from within.

Also, as I have mentioned in the past, I see a difference in the "transference" towards government between Conservatives and others. I think that those who are more prone to unconscious parental transferences are more likely to turn to, rely upon, and to trust or hope to trust, the State. Am eagerness for childlike transferences in adulthood is not a predictor of emotional well-being.

Conservative-Libertarian types like me, I think, tend to view the people involved in politics and the State as being at least if not more venal, self-serving, corrupt, egotistical, foolish and ineffective as other areas of human endeavor like business, academia, non-profits, etc.

I like to think that this view has been arrived at through a lifetime of experience, a lifetime's interest in history and public affairs, and repeated (very educational) disappointments and disillusionments during my foolishly naive, idealistic, Liberal youth. Experience and psychoanalytic training powerfully introduced me to the dark side of human nature - against my will.

Yes, mine is the old story: mugged by reality. Literally mugged too, once, by a couple of barbarians with a handgun, in Boston. Alas, I was innocent and unarmed at the time, and therefore unable to give them a little toxic-lead lesson about my view of reality and of citizenship.

"I gave at the office, pal." Boom!