---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liberals and conservatives are opponents…"
description: "\"Liberals and conservatives are opponents in the most literal sense, each using the myth of pure evil to demonize the other side and unite there own.\" —..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/jonathan-haidt-1823_evil_liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents_1637269.jpg"
---

#  Liberals and conservatives are opponents in the most…

![“Liberals and conservatives are opponents in the most literal sense, each using the myth of pure evil to demonize the other side and unite there own.” quote by Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/jonathan-haidt-1823_evil_liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents_1637269.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/jonathan-haidt-1823_evil_liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents_1637269.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/jonathan-haidt-1823_evil_liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents_1637269.jpg)

> “Liberals and conservatives are opponents in the most literal sense, each using the myth of pure evil to demonize the other side and unite there own.”

[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.

People label opposing groups as wholly evil, using moral myths to rally their own side.

**In simple terms:** Opponents are demonized to unite groups.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge dehumanizing narratives.

Themes

politics morality polarization

Mood

tenious critical

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- political debates
- media commentary
- community meetings

Key Concepts

social identity moral psychology group dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How does labeling opponents as evil affect conflict resolution?
- What alternative narratives could reduce polarization?

A Different Perspective

Such framing can oversimplify complex issues and hinder dialogue.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Liberals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberals/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Pure evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure-evil/)

## Related quotes

> [Liberals. Conservatives. Let us call a truce for the next 27 hours. Happy Labor Day everyone!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/liberals-conservatives-let-us-call-a-truce-for-the-next-27-hours/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The left loses most policy debates, leading them to engage in the politics of personal destruction. Many liberals do not see conservatives as human,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-golub/the-left-loses-most-policy-debates-leading-them-to-engage-in-the/)

Eric Golub

> [One of the most distinguishing differences between liberals and conservatives in America is that the average Liberal feels that we should have little reservation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-r-audette/one-of-the-most-distinguishing-differences-between-liberals-and/)

[Derek R. Audette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-r-audette/)

> [“That stuff Jesus warned us to beware of, the yeast of the Pharisees, is so infectious today in the camps of both liberals and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/that-stuff-jesus-warned-us-to-beware-of-the-yeast-of-the-pharisees-is/)

[Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/)

> [I write about power, that's my real subject - how you get it, what you do with it, how you abuse it. I'm equally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-balcer/i-write-about-power-that-s-my-real-subject-how-you-get-it-what-you-do/)

[Rene Balcer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-balcer/)

> [“Like most so-called debates between liberals and conservatives, they weren’t interested in listening or responding to each other. They were solely concerned with making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-frey/like-most-so-called-debates-between-liberals-and-conservatives-they/)

Bob Frey

> [The main difference between liberals and conservatives is that conservatives are honest about it. We're kind of dorks about it. We are kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/the-main-difference-between-liberals-and-conservatives-is-that/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

> [This always confuses liberals, that conservatives like the military and don't like the bureaucracy. That's because the military has their guns pointed out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/this-always-confuses-liberals-that-conservatives-like-the-military/)

[Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/)

> [Most Americans will let liberals and conservatives play their games because most Americans don't pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/most-americans-will-let-liberals-and-conservatives-play-their-games/)

[Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/)

> [Liberals and conservatives disagree over what are the most important sins. For conservatives, the sins that matter are personal irresponsibility, the flight from family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/liberals-and-conservatives-disagree-over-what-are-the-most-important/)

[E. J. Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-dionne/)

> [Liberals, conservatives, Muslims, Jews, Christians, and I find - I think education is something that can bring us together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/liberals-conservatives-muslims-jews-christians-and-i-find-i-think/)

[Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/)

> [The difference between the Liberals and the Conservatives is that the Conservatives are being honest that what they're planning to do is not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annamie-paul/the-difference-between-the-liberals-and-the-conservatives-is-that-the/)

[Annamie Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annamie-paul/)

> [I'm going to guess Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, all want clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. I'm sure most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/i-m-going-to-guess-republicans-and-democrats-liberals-and/)

[Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/)

> [Not a lot of conservatives on this list. Are more liberals than conservatives screwing up America?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lauer/not-a-lot-of-conservatives-on-this-list-are-more-liberals-than/)

[Matt Lauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lauer/)

> [“In Skitka’s study, liberals and conservatives were asked about a scenario in which four different groups of people had contracted AIDS in a variety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-c-mooney/in-skitka-s-study-liberals-and-conservatives-were-asked-about-a/)

Chris C. Mooney

## 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 ... Take the red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-think-half-of-america-votes-badly-because-they-are-stupid-or/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [“Our minds have the potential to become righteous about many different concerns, and only a few of these concerns are activated during childhood. 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 Europe quotes

> [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/)

[Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/)

> [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/)

[Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

> [Perhaps our own opposition to even the level of European integration we have now, let alone any more, is well known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/perhaps-our-own-opposition-to-even-the-level-of-european-integration/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/)

[Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/)

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [“Conservatism aims to maintain in working order the loyalties of the community to perceived truths and also to those truths which in their judgment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr-2/conservatism-aims-to-maintain-in-working-order-the-loyalties-of-the/)

[William F. Buckley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr-2/)

> [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/)

[Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/)

> [Europe is creating the flight of refugees that's tearing it apart politically, and leading rightwing nationalist parties to gain power to withdraw from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/europe-is-creating-the-flight-of-refugees-that-s-tearing-it-apart/)

[Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/)

> [We witness anti-Semitic attacks in the heart of Europe. We hear anti-Semitic slanders in European media. We feel anti-Semitic hatred in the continent that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/we-witness-anti-semitic-attacks-in-the-heart-of-europe-we-hear-anti/)

[Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/)

> [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/)

> [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [I became an MP in 2017 and have been around to watch Liberal Democrat party membership soar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/i-became-an-mp-in-2017-and-have-been-around-to-watch-liberal-democrat/)

[Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/)

[Browse all 7,565 Europe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Liberals and conservatives are opponents in the most literal sense, each using the myth of pure evil to demonize the other side and unite there own.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Haidt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents-in-the-most-literal-sense/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Europe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents-in-the-most-literal-sense/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/jonathan-haidt-1823_evil_liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents_1637269.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/jonathan-haidt-1823_evil_liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents_1637269.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53c/jonathan-haidt-1823_evil_liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents_1637269.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Liberals and conservatives are opponents in the most literal sense, each using the myth of pure evil to…” — Jonathan Haidt",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jonathan Haidt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Liberals and conservatives are opponents in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents-in-the-most-literal-sense/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/liberals-and-conservatives-are-opponents-in-the-most-literal-sense/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
