New Research: The Left Hates You WAY More than You Think (& You Hate Them Less Than They Think)

In this episode of Based Camp, Malcolm and Simone Collins dig into a recent study on political meta-dehumanization and the striking asymmetry in how liberals and conservatives mentally represent (and dehumanize) each other.

Drawing on research published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (“Political Meta-Dehumanization in Mental Representations”), posts from Cremieux and Arctotherium, and the composite face images the study produced, they unpack why liberals tend to see conservatives as savage, aggressive, and barely human, while conservatives tend to see liberals as immature, irrational, and naive. They also examine how each side misjudges the intensity of the other’s hostility—and what that means for political strategy.

The conversation covers:

Why the right’s greater empathy and openness has been a long-term cultural advantage (and how it has converted figures from JK Rowling to Elon Musk to RFK Jr.)

The dangers of treating the other side as merely misguided when they view you as an existential threat

Why kindness and inclusivity remain powerful conversion tools—while still refusing to hand over institutional or administrative power

Related findings on empathy asymmetries, institutional capture, and the limits of democratic norms when one side stops playing fair

Practical implications for coalitions, tech/AI companies, and long-term power

A candid, research-grounded discussion on dehumanization, strategy, and how the right should (and shouldn’t) respond.

Timestamps