--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Conservatives believe that people are…" description: "\"“Conservatives believe that people are inherently imperfect and are prone to act badly when all constraints and accountability are removed (yes, I thou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/jonathan-haidt-1823_conservatives_conservatives-believe-that-people-are-in_2682469.jpg" --- # Conservatives believe that people are inherently imperfect… ![“Conservatives believe that people are inherently imperfect and are prone to act badly when all constraints and accountability are removed (yes, I thought; see Glaucon, Tetlock, and Ariely in chapter 4). Our reasoning is flawed and prone to overconfidence, so it’s dangerous to construct theories…” quote by Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/jonathan-haidt-1823_conservatives_conservatives-believe-that-people-are-in_2682469.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/jonathan-haidt-1823_conservatives_conservatives-believe-that-people-are-in_2682469.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e2/jonathan-haidt-1823_conservatives_conservatives-believe-that-people-are-in_2682469.jpg) > ““Conservatives believe that people are inherently imperfect and are prone to act badly when all constraints and accountability are removed (yes, I thought; see Glaucon, Tetlock, and Ariely in chapter 4). Our reasoning is flawed and prone to overconfidence, so it’s dangerous to construct theories based on pure reason, unconstrained by intuition and historical experience (yes; see Hume in chapter 2 and Baron-Cohen on systemizing in chapter 6). Institutions emerge gradually as social facts, which we then respect and even sacralize, but if we strip these institutions of authority and treat them as arbitrary contrivances that exist only for our benefit, we render them less effective. We then expose ourselves to increased anomie and social disorder (yes; see Durkheim in chapters 8 and 11). Based”” [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans are imperfect; institutions and intuition curb overconfidence and disorder. **In simple terms:** People need constraints and history to avoid chaos. Key Takeaway Respect and balance authority with intuition. Themes politics human nature institutions psychology social order Mood cautious critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy design - education - community building - legal reform Key Concepts Moral psychology social contract anomie Questions to Reflect On - How can we integrate intuition into governance? - What role should tradition play in modern institutions? A Different Perspective Pure reason alone ignores human flaws and can destabilize society. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives/) ## Related quotes > [Forgive me for noting that conservatives seem to believe that the rich will work harder if we give them more, and the poor will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/forgive-me-for-noting-that-conservatives-seem-to-believe-that-the/) [E. J. Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-dionne/) > [Conservatives believe in providing Constitutional rights to our citizens, not to enemy combatants like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/conservatives-believe-in-providing-constitutional-rights-to-our/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Only conservatives believe that subversion is still being carried on in the arts and that society is being shaken by it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-rosenberg/only-conservatives-believe-that-subversion-is-still-being-carried-on/) [Harold Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-rosenberg/) > [Whereas all liberals are thought to erupt self-righteously whenever they feel like it, conservatives believe that they themselves are never permitted to say what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-frank/whereas-all-liberals-are-thought-to-erupt-self-righteously-whenever/) [Thomas Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-frank/) > [We Conservatives believe not in big, interventionist, centralized government. But in small and limited government, government as close to the people as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxime-bernier/we-conservatives-believe-not-in-big-interventionist-centralized/) [Maxime Bernier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxime-bernier/) > [Consistent conservatives believe people should keep more of the money they work so hard to earn - not because the vulnerable don't deserve assistance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/consistent-conservatives-believe-people-should-keep-more-of-the-money/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Conservatives believe in smaller government and in the power of the electorate. So I think that we're less likely to try to use a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/conservatives-believe-in-smaller-government-and-in-the-power-of-the/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Conservatives believe that a self-governing society depends on individuals taking responsibility for their actions, and those of their family and community. They deride others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/conservatives-believe-that-a-self-governing-society-depends-on/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > [Conservatives believe the economy functions better if the rich have more money and everyone else has less. But they're wrong. It's just the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/conservatives-believe-the-economy-functions-better-if-the-rich-have/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Conservatives believe in equality of opportunity. Liberals believe in equality of outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-rosen/conservatives-believe-in-equality-of-opportunity-liberals-believe-in/) Mike Rosen > [Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us. Society is stronger when we make vows to each other and we support each other. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/conservatives-believe-in-the-ties-that-bind-us-society-is-stronger/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [No one is guaranteed happiness. You can pursue it, but if you happen to find success along the way on that road to happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/no-one-is-guaranteed-happiness-you-can-pursue-it-but-if-you-happen-to/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Not only do most people accept violence if it is perpetuated by legitimate authority, they also regard violence against certain kinds of people as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-friedenberg/not-only-do-most-people-accept-violence-if-it-is-perpetuated-by/) [Edgar Friedenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-friedenberg/) > [If you think people are inherently good, you get rid of the police for 24 hours - see what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/if-you-think-people-are-inherently-good-you-get-rid-of-the-police-for/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I am an optimist, and I believe that people are inherently good and that if you give everyone a voice and freedom of expression,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/i-am-an-optimist-and-i-believe-that-people-are-inherently-good-and/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) ## More by Jonathan Haidt > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [You can see the rider serving the elephant when people are morally dumbfounded. They have strong gut feelings about what is right and wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/you-can-see-the-rider-serving-the-elephant-when-people-are-morally/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Congress is full of good, decent, smart people who have devoted their lives to public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/congress-is-full-of-good-decent-smart-people-who-have-devoted-their/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Once you understand the power of stimulus control, you can use it to your advantage by changing the stimuli in your environment and avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/once-you-understand-the-power-of-stimulus-control-you-can-use-it-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“The ethic of autonomy is based on the idea that people are, first and foremost, autonomous individuals with wants, needs, and preferences. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-ethic-of-autonomy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-people-are-first-and/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I got interested in the American culture war back in 2004, and it's one of the only growth stocks I've ever invested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-got-interested-in-the-american-culture-war-back-in-2004-and-it-s/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I think of myself as a social scientist. In order to get hired and to get promoted, we're forced to declare a disciplinary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-of-myself-as-a-social-scientist-in-order-to-get-hired-and-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/we-should-not-expect-individuals-to-produce-good-open-minded-truth/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-most-powerful-force-ever-known-on-this-planet-is-human/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [It only takes twenty generations of selective breeding to create large differences or appearance and behavior in other mammals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/it-only-takes-twenty-generations-of-selective-breeding-to-create/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you think half of America votes badly because they are stupid or religious, you are trapped in a matrix ... 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Other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/our-minds-have-the-potential-to-become-righteous-about-many-different/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [People who devote their lives to studying something often come to believe that the object of their fascination is the key to understanding everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/people-who-devote-their-lives-to-studying-something-often-come-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Nonetheless, if you are trying to change an organization or a society and you do not consider the effects of your changes on moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/nonetheless-if-you-are-trying-to-change-an-organization-or-a-society/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you have a personality predisposed to liberalism, you might gravitate more to the artsy crowd or the anti-establishment crowd. And then those peers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-have-a-personality-predisposed-to-liberalism-you-might/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) [Explore all 204 Jonathan Haidt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## More Conservatives quotes > [Conservatives, despite their increasingly powerful presence on cable TV and talk radio, feel excluded and disregarded by the longstanding preponderance of liberal voices on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-medved/conservatives-despite-their-increasingly-powerful-presence-on-cable/) [Michael Medved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-medved/) > [Forgive me for noting that conservatives seem to believe that the rich will work harder if we give them more, and the poor will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/forgive-me-for-noting-that-conservatives-seem-to-believe-that-the/) [E. J. Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-dionne/) > [Conservatives are people who look at a tree and feel instinctively that it is more beautiful than anything they can name. But when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/conservatives-are-people-who-look-at-a-tree-and-feel-instinctively/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Most conservatives - by which I mean normal people - have little conception of the aggressive and revolutionary force that confronts them. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bethell/most-conservatives-by-which-i-mean-normal-people-have-little/) [Tom Bethell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bethell/) > [“conservatives say consensus is forming around an immigration package that would include several separate bills on border security; a clampdown against the hiring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/conservatives-say-consensus-is-forming-around-an-immigration-package/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Politics is way cool, as long as it’s progressive. Conservatives by nature hate politics and politicians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/politics-is-way-cool-as-long-as-it-s-progressive-conservatives-by/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [After eight years of Obama one thing is clear: Conservatives want a fighter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-schlapp/after-eight-years-of-obama-one-thing-is-clear-conservatives-want-a/) [Matt Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-schlapp/) > [Fellow conservatives, particularly within the Republican Party, typically do a good job arguing against totalitarian, one-size-fits-all approaches to policy. What works for a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/fellow-conservatives-particularly-within-the-republican-party/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [Since Ronald Reagan's election in 1980, conservatives of various sorts, and conservatisms of various stripes, have generally been in the ascendancy. And a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-ronald-reagan-s-election-in-1980-conservatives-of-various-sorts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How many people disapprove of the job the Conservatives are doing? Seventy percent. Of those same people, how many will vote for them again?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/how-many-people-disapprove-of-the-job-the-conservatives-are-doing/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [What we need to recognize, less than 1 percent of the people organized around issues that are already supported by conservatives and liberals, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/what-we-need-to-recognize-less-than-1-percent-of-the-people-organized/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cuomo/their-problem-is-not-me-and-the-democrats-their-problem-is-themselves/) [Andrew Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cuomo/) > [It is my hope that all of the Republicans who recognize that nominating a candidate who agrees with Hillary Clinton on a host of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/it-is-my-hope-that-all-of-the-republicans-who-recognize-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Sure, sexism is not confined to the Conservatives. 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