Robert Urbanek
Platinum Member
While the mainstream media has focused on what motivates people to believe in lies, conspiracies, or gravitate toward authoritarian leaders, little attention has been given to political appeals based on the fundamental personality traits of introversion and extroversion.
According to psychologist Laurie Helgoe, introverts make up 50 percent of the population, a fact obscured by a U.S. culture that rewards and gives visibility to vocal, ambitious, and aggressive individuals.
An indirect appeal to introverts can be found in the term ''The Silent Majority,'' coined by Richard Nixon in the late 1960s, to describe what he felt was a large portion of American who didn’t feel represented by protestors. The term could appeal to introverts who felt that their political expressions were undervalued if they were not part of a noisy, in-your-face mob. The political left played into that division by describing quiet, non-disruptive citizens as “uptight.”
The Republican appeal to extroverts can be found in their campaigns against government bureaucracy and red tape. Extroverted entrepreneurs want to spend their time interacting with clients and customers, not trapped alone at a desk pouring through paperwork. Democrats seldom campaign on promises to reduce the complexity of government, although some have tried to score points in this area but pointing out to business owners that universal health care would relieve them of health insurance paperwork.
The Democrats’ best appeal to introverts is to promote an economic and social environment where those who quietly and diligently work through life can expect measured, predictable, and secure benefits. Republicans who want to replace Medicare or Social Security with more “competitive” products place introverts in an environment where they feel their basic need for serene security is at the mercy of extroverted, high-pressure salespeople.
According to psychologist Laurie Helgoe, introverts make up 50 percent of the population, a fact obscured by a U.S. culture that rewards and gives visibility to vocal, ambitious, and aggressive individuals.
An indirect appeal to introverts can be found in the term ''The Silent Majority,'' coined by Richard Nixon in the late 1960s, to describe what he felt was a large portion of American who didn’t feel represented by protestors. The term could appeal to introverts who felt that their political expressions were undervalued if they were not part of a noisy, in-your-face mob. The political left played into that division by describing quiet, non-disruptive citizens as “uptight.”
The Republican appeal to extroverts can be found in their campaigns against government bureaucracy and red tape. Extroverted entrepreneurs want to spend their time interacting with clients and customers, not trapped alone at a desk pouring through paperwork. Democrats seldom campaign on promises to reduce the complexity of government, although some have tried to score points in this area but pointing out to business owners that universal health care would relieve them of health insurance paperwork.
The Democrats’ best appeal to introverts is to promote an economic and social environment where those who quietly and diligently work through life can expect measured, predictable, and secure benefits. Republicans who want to replace Medicare or Social Security with more “competitive” products place introverts in an environment where they feel their basic need for serene security is at the mercy of extroverted, high-pressure salespeople.
