Finally, a study I agree with, but the reason for the following results eluded the author, Conn Carroll.

One-third of respondents were asked to fill out the questionnaire according to their own views. One-third were asked to fill it out as they thought a “typical liberal” would. And the last third were asked to fill out the survey as if they were a “typical conservative.”

Haidt found that moderates and conservatives could accurately predict how liberals and conservatives would judge each statement. But liberals were far less capable of mirroring their ideological counterparts’ thinking. Those describing themselves as “very liberal” did worst. Apparently, contra Krugman, the more liberal you are, the less able you are to understand other people’s beliefs.

First of all, kudos to Mr. Carroll for writing this at all.  The occasional study on comparative traits of libs and normal Americans (couldn’t resist) typically is designed to make conservatives look like racist neanderthals, which of course we aren’t.  They’re intended to produce a desired political result.  And I don’t mean to impugn Mr. Carroll for not including the following simple explanation.  It would have taken his article off on a political tangent, which is my specialty.

Now why do conservatives understand libs better than the other way around?  Simple.  It’s because conservatives are exposed to liberalism constantly in the news, newspaper, workplace, schools, damn near everywhere.  Add to that the fact that liberals have gotten so far out, you can’t safely satirize them without giving them ideas.  So you can pretty much put down anything ridiculous and it’s already happened somewhere.  Just think of the last thing a lib did that made you go WTF and write it down.  Like banning milk in daycare centers or baby cribs with sides that drop down.  It’s hard to give a wrong answer.

Liberals don’t understand conservatives because they get all their information from what other liberals say about conservatives, not what conservatives actually said or did.  Ever hear a liberal comment on what a conservative said and try Googling it, only to find out it’s only on leftwing sites?  All the time, right?  The results would be more balanced if liberals watched Fox News instead of NewsHounds.  Or listened to Rush Limbaugh instead of browsing Media Matters.  They don’t do any of that and they don’t get a dose of conservatism by osmosis, because it’s not out there.  A liberal can live in a liberal echo chamber and still be part of society.  Their success guarantees their ignorance.