The Molecule of More

THE MOLECULE OF MORE

COUPLING CONSERVATIVES

The preference for close, personal contact that leads conservatives to
take a more hands-on approach to helping the poor also makes them
more likely to establish long-term, monogamous relationships. The New
York Times reported that “spending childhood nearly anywhere in blue
America—especially liberal bastions like New York, San Francisco,
Chicago, Boston and Washington—makes people about 10 percentage
points less likely to marry relative to the rest of the country.” In addi-
tion, when liberals marry, they’re more likely to cheat.
In addition to charitable giving, the General Social Survey also
tracks the sexual behavior of Americans. Starting in 1991 they began
asking the question, “Have you ever had sex with someone other than
your husband or  wife  while you  were married?” Dr.  Kanazawa, who 
evaluated the relationship between political ideology and intelligence,
analyzed this  data to  find  out  who  was  most likely to  answer yes to the
question. Among those who  identified as  conservative, 14  percent had 
cheated on their spouses. The number fell slightly to 13 percent among
those who identified as  very conservative. Among liberals 24  percent 
reported cheating, and 26 percent of those who described themselves as
very liberal reported cheating. The same trend was seen when the data
for men and women were analyzed separately.
Conservatives have less sex than liberals, possibly because conser-
vatives are more likely to be in companionate relationships in which
testosterone is suppressed by oxytocin and vasopressin. Though the sex
may be less frequent, it’s more likely to end in orgasm for both partners.
According to a study called “Singles in America,” a survey of more
than 5,000 adults designed by the University of Binghamton’s Institute
for Evolutionary Studies, conservatives are more likely to experience
climax during sex than liberals.
Dr.  Helen Fisher, chief scientific advisor at  Match.com, speculated 
that conservatives are better at giving up control, an activity necessary
for orgasm to occur. She attributed this ability to having clearer values,
which makes it easier to relax. This explanation, which relies on a con-
nection between clear values and disinhibition during climax, may not