Neurological Correlates of Political Ideology and Homosexuality – The Extreme r-Hypothesis of Homosexuality

The funniest thing about the r/K divide within our species is how pervasive it is. Everywhere I look, I see aspects of it manifesting in our culture, our behavior, our history, and even our future.

Here is a free abstract from an interesting study examining the “balancing selection hypothesis” of homosexuality.

Let me rephrase this, so it makes more sense. There may be a gene which produces women who are more fertile, have more offspring, and want to deal with children less. At the same time it makes men more feminine (and more promiscuous, since that correlates with homosexuality). (There is other research which implicates multiple genes in homosexuality, as well as non-random X-chromosome inactivation in mothers. Although the genetic causes of homosexuality are probably many, it will not alter the overall conclusions of this blog post.)

Many r-selected species see the sex-specific behavioral tendencies and sexual dimorphism reverse from what is seen in K-selected species. In a K-selected species, males are responsible for provisioning and protection, and so they grow large, aggressive, courageous, and competitive. By contrast, females remain more feminine and conflict averse – they are designed to attract males with their femininity, and nurture children in security by removing them from the dangers which the male confronts for the family.

In many r-selected species, however, females must raise their offspring alone, so they become aggressive, competitive, and more “manly” (by K-selected standards), to provide for and protect their single parented offspring better. Obviously the best example in humans is the modern day man-jawed, flannel-wearing feminazi. Meanwhile in r-selection, the promiscuous males become more feminine (likely to help them avoid conflict with other males), more diminutive, more focused on superficial flash that is designed to attract mates quickly, and less competitive and courageous. They become more feminine, by our K-selected standards.

From the abstract of the study on homosexual genes:

“Our analysis showed that both mothers and maternal aunts of homosexual men show increased fecundity compared with corresponding maternal female relatives of heterosexual men. A two-step statistical analysis, which was based on t-tests and multiple logistic regression analysis, showed that mothers and maternal aunts of homosexual men (i) had fewer gynecological disorders; (ii) had fewer complicated pregnancies; (iii) had less interest in having children; (iv) placed less emphasis on romantic love within couples; (v) placed less importance on their social life; (vi) showed reduced family stability; (vii) were more extraverted; and (viii) had divorced or separated from their spouses more frequently.”

So not only does this gene make male carriers more feminine, it also makes females more fecund, and less likely to end up in a monogamous relationship. Such female carriers will exhibit less desire to rear children, be less romantically attached to their partner, be less likely to have a stable family, and be more likely to divorce or separate. Promiscuous, feminized males, and females with low rearing drive and an aversion to monogamy. Where have we seen that before?

I have always been struck by the feminine nature of the modern Liberal male, who we maintain is merely an individual within our species who exhibits an r-type reproductive strategy. Both Liberal men and women rely more on navigating social structures than on open conflict and competition to get ahead. Liberal men seek to be protected from competition by others through government, just as most women seek the protection of men. Liberal men prefer that others should provide for them (and the populace) through governmental largesse, while women seek out men who can provide for them. While the studies haven’t been done for obvious reasons, I suspect one would find the average Liberal male is vastly inferior in physical combative ability compared to the average Conservative male. And then of course, there is always Gavin Newsom.

It is established that in Kluver-Bucy syndrome, the deficient function of the amygdala which characterizes the syndrome does produce hypersexuality, including compulsively mating with inappropriate partners and objects. Of course one facet of the Liberal brain is a diminished development of the amygdala. If amygdala structural variation underlies ideology and sexual behavior, is it possible that atypical amygdala development might be implicated in homosexuality in a similar way?

Yes, as a matter of fact it is. Homosexual men and women exhibit less neurological connectivity within the right amygdalae hemisphere than do heterosexual men when examined via PET scan, while Liberals exhibit relatively smaller right amygdala hemispheres than Conservatives, when examined via MRI. By contrast, the same studies show that Heterosexual men and Lesbians exhibit increased connectivity in the right hemisphere of the amygdala, while Conservatives exhibit increased volume in the right amygdala. (The right hemisphere of the amygdala is believed to deal with negative stimuli, such as threat and fear more, while the Left hemisphere is more involved in reward/pleasure, in addition to threat/fear. To paraphrase the title of a study which discusses this cognitive difference in ideologies, Conservative K-types confront the bad, while Liberal r-types roll with the good.)

A quote from the Homosexual brain structure study:

Homosexual subjects also showed sex-atypical amygdala connections. In (Homosexual Males), as in (Heterosexual Women), the connections were more widespread from the left amygdala; in (Homosexual Women) and (Heterosexual Males), on the other hand, from the right amygdala … The results cannot be primarily ascribed to learned effects, and they suggest a linkage to neurobiological entities.

Also noted in the study:

The choice to measure amygdala connectivity was based on several reports about sex differentiated amygdala lateralization in processing of emotional memories (with an activation of the right amygdala in men, and the left amygdala in women) (19, 20). (see the article for the references)

From an article on Discover Magazine’s website, describing the paper, found here

“The researchers also looked at the amygdala, a part of the brain that’s associated with emotions, and found that straight women and gay men both have more connections between the amygdala and brain regions associated with anxiety and mood disorders. Meanwhile, the amygdala of lesbians and straight men had more connections to the region that controls fight or flight reactions”

Please think back to my blog series on debating tactics and the amygdala hijack, and see if the above paragraph might describe a mechanism by which Liberals might be more prone to anxiety and mood disruption during casual debate.

Here is a quote from Kanai’s study of neurological correlates of political affiliation:

We found that … greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala. These results were replicated in an independent sample of additional participants. Our findings extend previous observations that political attitudes reflect differences in self-regulatory conflict monitoring … by showing that such attitudes are reflected in human brain structure.

Of course if r/K sex-specific behavioral tendencies held, K-type (feminine) women and Liberals would all be expected to exhibit the more conflict-averse/feminized model of behavior, while men and r-type women would be expected to exhibit a more aggressive, provisioner/protector model of behavior. Some have proposed that there are sex-specific variations in homosexual participation in sports (where homosexual men seem to avoid aggressive sports, while homosexual women appear to be over represented in such aggressive sports). Numerous studies also note that male homosexuals tend to exhibit much less aggression than male heterosexuals.

Is homosexuality just an extreme r-type development of the amygdala? Normally designed to affect aggression and embrace of conflict, it is occaisionally expressed so severely that it then bleeds over into sexual desires. Could Homosexuality actually be a case of mother nature overshooting the r-type Liberal mark, and shifting the neurological foundations of r/K sex-specific behaviors too far?

In moderate amounts, this r-trait just produces a cowardly and effete man, obsessed with superficial style/flash, who avoids aggression/competing, and as Heartiste pointed out here, exhibits exactly the type of less desirous/more aloof attitude r-type women crave in their short term relationships. In large amounts, it goes overboard and turns a Barack Obama into a Barney Frank, but the advantages of all the moderately-feminized male r-strategists outweighs the periodic genetic dead end. (The Heartiste post linked above was quite interesting for another study it cited showing that in twins with only one heterosexual sibling, that sibling was more promiscuous than average.)

Homosexuality could also be adaptive, since an r-type individual, trying to persist in a K-selective environment would be well served to defer competing for a mate until a more r-selective period began. By creating a male with diminished desire and desperation for a female mate, this would both diminish the r-type’s drive towards mate competition in K-selective periods, and then increase female attraction as the female cohort became more r-minded during more r-selective periods. Of course if this hypothesis is correct, it would also explain why homosexuals tend to support Liberals more than Conservatives.

What will be interesting will be to see the Liberal’s reaction to this hypothesis. Will they be aghast and deny the evidence, and thereby betray underlying negative feelings and perceptions, of a discriminatory nature, about homosexuals and homosexuality? Are Liberals so Homophobic that they will deny what the scientific evidence so clearly indicates? Or will they adopt a genuinely non-judgmental, tolerant position, embracing of their homosexual brethren, and the common evolutionary history and psychological inclinations they share?

Only time will tell.

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Robert Hagedorn
Robert Hagedorn
11 years ago

Should the anus be used as a sex organ? Google First Scandal. When you get there, go to the top of the page and click on “Can you explain…” Please note: this website you reach will be deleted on November 1, 2012.

I told you debbywhasherbrain innzschults you're CRAZY
I told you debbywhasherbrain innzschults you're CRAZY
11 years ago

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OK, ERASED (days ago, but someone always thake som of’m back on sites and I just copied and I’m teachin how much treassures are these mesagges any can take time to write, after all, TEA battles for TEA ideals are performed dayltime before Minas TEarith, or TEAs nights at TEAhelmsdeep… beautyfull nights, thundering,… cold)…
I just saw this one “popped in” back on the comenting page, it was good, FROM A (I SUSPECT) A CARTELGOV SITE (THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE there DON’T BELIEVE ME, YOU KNOW, SAME AS BUSH’S PEOPLE ARE ATTAXED BY BHORK’$ bailedout DRIVEBYMEDIARREA BELTAW$)…
(dedicated to my homeland’s youth watching Us)…
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This is the 3rd re-play. I forgot why I’m here, by bike under a deadly solar flare day… I knew today I was being (ON MY FACE TO MAKE ME STOP BLOGGIN) followed, and debby washer (brain wo) man innzschszchultz, now today I saw (pprr for running anyposition DENYED BY MY KNOWLEDGE YOU’LL EAT OOPS, WON’T EVER AGAIN EAT … VOTES)… but “I was there paying attention… ON THE CITYCARS AND POLICE, blue light in civil, any “entrance the alvarez enter wherever I AM!!, so… (I blame’m and ignore BEACUSE THEY’RE CARTEL WARG$, “tough, rotund, implacable… sounds so fidel) of knowing the denounces I made for ayers, castrocoyotes, fiu PO LI CE psyco-train-recluit=mayoral varez “recomendations AND REMAINNED EVEN WORKING LIKE NOTHING”…!!?? and… pursuing me, ON MY FACE, bhorK!!, well, I saw cartelcity vehicles, sometimes, (remembers me of my area library became mayoral HQ), well, all of “my former $20/D A Y L Y (POLICE I SAW LAUGHING WITH’M ON MY FACE, BHORK, DEBBY…) city bosses, and the paralegal labor/civil felonies as “patron”, wich is accepting the name of slaver and as bhork reading teleprompters… with a smile and voice… so cinical, liberal, ohhh, intellectual, “magiKAL”, logiKal…. ,… I learned… doral library wasn’t closed (today internet WAS OUT ON ANY LIBRARY, AND TODAY I WASN’T BEING PART OF THE SILENCED OPPOSITION!!!, “coincidentaly” I was to TRY to blog today… even thow at the morning was … “closed”, the curious and frightenning: “sign: “COMPUTERS will be closed today (yesterday)”… OK: COMPUTERS… SO WHY THE WHOLE LIBRARY??!!… these things are well documented at MY tedpalpatinekennedy’s nets I (I’m not alone on this) denounced already…,
a 4th re-play of a few dollars more- final duel…
jumping out into…; analizing the “anonymous sites suspected of bhrok activity (gov cartel laundry, “etc”)..
hey bhork, it’s goin to be wonderfull this winter… why?
because I resulted to happen AM A TEAleaf, volunteer and ADD honorem on my AUTHORITY RANK on the war (on terror) SKILLS, and… intelligence…
votes, not occupiedpdctoilet violence… no ano nymous SO fat and furiou$ly NEWBLACKPANY half hammas brothermuslimhood / half chicken) CHEAP TREACK$
silence oppositions… BBBBBUUUUUUHHHHHUUUUUUUHHAAHAHAHAHAA…..

Fecha: 23/08/2012 12:45 PM | Miembro: whyonlyterroristsgetmad?!@yuhoo.com | Votos:

Ida
Ida

How much more overwhelming seniitcfic evidence do we have to collect for something that is plain and obvious to anybody who has looked into this tragedy for more than a second?The sooner we accept homosexuality as a communicable genetic disease the sooner we’ll have a cure! Let’s stop doing the research and start implementing the cure!!!

ImmorTEAl sTEAlth teleprompter desTROYer TEApollo TEAleaf LOVES YOUR TYPOGRAPH
ImmorTEAl sTEAlth teleprompter desTROYer TEApollo TEAleaf LOVES YOUR TYPOGRAPH
11 years ago

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SURE, SEE YOU…
a conservative anonymous site!!!, oooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOHHHH GGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDD…..
I won’t sleep tonight.
actualy, a hurricane, comes, like 10,000 strong at least bhork stormtroopers…

Michelle

Please pray for my parish. This weenekd a lesbian couple is being allowed to baptize their twin babies , who were conceived through vitro, at our church. Yes, the babies are innocent and should be baptized, but I believe it should be done privately. The fact that they are being allowed to participate in a public baptism opens a very dangerous door. I think our Pastor is making a big mistake because it tells the parishioners, and the other families participating, that this is acceptable. How can they renew their baptism promises when they are openly living in defiance of God’s law? They may be using these babies to drive an agenda and once they get their foot in the door, watch out! You know what comes next: You baptized our babies, now why can’t you marry us. They’re both sacraments, right? Pray for our Pastor and the Deacon who runs our baptism program, who gave permission for this, and for me because I fear some day, because I stand totally with the magisterium of the Church, it may cost me my job.

j s
j s
11 years ago

This post is ridiculous.

The most k-select states in nation are the most liberal. Mass, Connecticut, NY, California … a fixture of all these states are the white liberal 3 person family. Mom, Dad and their 1 kid. They both went to university. They got married at 28 and 31. They had the kid at 34 and 37. Her tubes were immediately tied and he had a vasectomy “just in case”. Their 1 child will get all their attention. Their 1 child will effectively live off them until his late 20’s, when he finishes school.

The conservative states are the big divorce states. Those are the states where white people are doing the r-select thing like crazy. Your average white conservative family is what, 7 kids and counting? That’s r-select. The south leads the nation in blended families. That’s 3 kids from her, 2 kids from him, the kid they just had together …. .

Conservatives have spent so much time complaining about low birth rates in the western world, how we arent even breeding at replacement, and blaming it on the promotion of use of R-selection by the liberal left.

LOL at the cluelessness of the author.

click here
11 years ago

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Rana Dicapua
11 years ago

Bin Laden was taken out on Obama’s watch, and it galls conservatives which they cannot attack the POTUS for currently being weak in opposition to international terrorist threats. n nHad this accomplishment been designed when Bush was however President, Rove, Sununu, and other appropriate wing blowhards will be singing his praises and hailing him as a genius for his military leadership and clandestine operation decision-making.

sog knives
11 years ago

Very nice article. I absolutely love this website.
Keep writing!

trackback
11 years ago

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