Our two major political parties have different personalities. Of course, the members of each party have their own, unique personality,and sometimes people are suckered into joining a party that does not share their own personal beliefs, but the leaders of each party have strong personalities that dominate the actions and policies taken on behalf of the members of each party. At bottom, the Republican Party works against the common good, while the Democratic Party works for it. If the two parties were actually individual human beings, here is a list of the personality characteristics that each would have:
Characteristics of the Republican Party (Tyranni)
(These characteristics should not be applied to humans under age 26.)
- Tyranni are willing to use force and deception to make others live their lives the way they, the tyranni, want. They will impose their views on others. Tyranni are willing to ignore, or even break, the law.
- In the most extreme form, tyranni think they have an almost divine right to rule. They possess certainty based on some internal feeling, or instinct, that only they have access to. Tyranni expect you to defer to them in all things—they are often extremely intolerant. They feel superior to other people and some even require adulation.
- The most extreme tyranni will aggressively seek power over others wherever they can find it; some are dictators and some others are common criminals. They are prone to anger and violence.
- Tyranni often have little or no regard for the harm they cause others to suffer, and in the extreme form some tyranni (should they get power), are willing to mistreat others. This mistreatment can take on many forms: , extortion, economic exploitation, bribery, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, racism, corruption of office, denial of civil rights, denial of equal protection under the law, denial of access to health care, denial of an education, economic inequality, and more.
- Tyranni want to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for themselves but they are not so sure about you. They may be willing to let you have them if it suits their purposes, otherwise they may dictate how you should live your life.
- If the liberties and rights of “tyranni-out-of-power” are under threat by “tyranni-in-power,” the “tyranni-outs” will join with democrati in the struggle against the “tyranni-ins.” But when the “tyranni-outs” win and become “tyranni-ins” their democrato comrades-in-arms become expendable suckers.
- Tyranni qualify their acceptance of the Declaration of Independence and the Golden Rule of Reciprocity. Tyranni believe that some men are created unequal, and that civil rights are not for everyone—certain groups are to be excluded.
- Tyranni will say “Live and let live,” but mean it only when it is self-serving.
- If tyranni govern then our lives will be marked by evil, unfairness, hate, exclusion, violence, war, and tyranny.
Characteristics of the Democratic Party (Democrati)
(These characteristics should not be applied to humans under age 26.)
- They are willing to let, or help, others live their lives the way they want.
- Democrati tend to listen to the views of others and are often reluctant to advance their own views. Democrati are typically law-abiding.
- Some democrati will just leave others alone and they want to be left alone in return.
- Democrati are reluctant to use force or deception.
- Democrati do not seek power over others, but like the Minutemen patriots of the First Revolutionary War, democrati are ready to do their civic duty when called.
- Other democrati will dedicate their lives to helping others live their lives the way they please. Nurses, doctors, scientists, and teachers fall into this category.
- Still others will risk or even give their lives in order to save the lives of others. These heroic people are firemen, policemen, soldiers, medical first responders and more.
- Democrati want you to have the liberty to live your life and pursue your happiness the way you want. Democrati tend to be too tolerant.
- Democrati accept without reservation the Declaration of Independence and the Golden Rule of Reciprocity. They believe that all men are created equal and that civil rights are for everyone—all groups are to be included.
- Democrati will say “Live and let live,” and mean it.
- If democrati govern then our lives will be marked by good, fairness, love, inclusion, nonviolence, peace, and liberty.
The debate between nature and nurture is old and contentious. But for my purposes here it is immaterial. My varieties apply to fully developed adults: people who have been shaped into fully formed human beings—people who have experiences in the real world and who have demonstrated to the world how they treat others. Consistent patterns of behavior reveal the evolved nature of human beings: tyranni or democrati. It is of little importance whether any behavior is due to nature or nurture, or, and this is obviously more likely, the interaction between the two forces (which is evolution by natural selection). A fully formed adult settles into patterns of behavior and they largely remain consistent throughout his life. The adult human has behavioral tendencies that identify his political thinking, and his behavioral tendencies become clearer as his power (or his desperation) increases. This does not mean that his behavior is predetermined. Experience does play a role. It is true that one very often cannot control how one feels, one cannot control one’s inherent inclinations toward a certain action in a particular situation, but one can control what one actually does about these feelings and inclinations. When one acts against one’s feelings and inclinations one is exercising free will.
So these definitions of the two varieties of humankind are valid whether or not one believes in nature or nurture or free will. It is important, and almost unavoidable, to try to understand why one person treats another person in a certain way; there are many theories on this question. But the idea here is that our behavior toward each other, no matter its cause(s), reveals our variety. You are what you do—to others.