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THE NEW RIGHT How vulnerable are you?

Seen and not heard
How vulnerable are you to the appeal of authority? Do you yearn for the classroom and the strong hand of control? Find out more about yourself and whether you are a closest supporter of the New Right by answering the questionnaire below.

Score each statement from 1 (absolutely no) to 5 (definitely yes) according to how much you agree or disagree with it, selecting only one answer for each question. But watch out for scoring every item 3, remember that says something about you too!

 
1
(no)
2
3
4
5
(yes)
1. Everyone should be allowed to practise their religion, whatever it is.
2. Women should be treated the same as men.
3. Some day it will probably be shown that astrology can explain a lot of things
4. Human nature being what it is, there will always be violence and war.
5. A secure and loving relationship is the most important prerequisite for happiness.
6. No sane, normal, good person could ever consider hurting a close friend or relative.
7. Sex crimes like rape and attacks on children deserve something tougher than imprisonment.
8. The laws restricting abortion should be abolished.
9. All human beings are born equal.
10. Teenagers sometimes get rebellious ideas. But they ought to get over them as they mature and settle down.
11. State control of industry tends to lead to inefficiency, bureaucracy and stagnation.
12. Nowadays more and more people are prying into matters which should remain private and personal.
13. Unrestricted freedom of discussion on every topic is desirable in the media.
14. Science has its place but there are many important things that can never possibly be understood by the human mind.
15. If people talked a bit less and worked a bit more, everybody would be better off.
16. Our society is becoming decadent. The orgies of the Greeks and Romans were tame compared to what is happening today.
17. When someone has a problem or worry it is best for him or her not to think about it but to keep busy with more cheerful things.
18. Experiments on living animals should be abolished.

Your New Right Rating:

The computer has added up your numbers in the box beside each statement, but deleted the statements and scores from question numbers 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 18. These points are ‘fillers’ and designed to throw you off the scent! So have a look at your rating and see what it means below...

10-18 You’re almost too good to be true. Obviously the New Rights not for you.

19-26 Seen and not heard, you’ve really taken that lesson to heart. You like to feel that other more competent people are in control a lot of the time. It’s a kind of passivity and respect for authority that could be exploited.

27-34 A bit of a stickler for discipline, eh? You believe in hard work, in principle, achievement strength of character, in persisting with something until its finished. Fair enough, but that can make you intolerant and impatient with people you consider weak-willed. Be careful, you could be on the slippery slope.

35-42 Deep down you’re a wild sensual animal. But you’re so terrified of the beast in you escaping that you are obsessed with control. You want to be controlled yourself and more important, you want others to be controlled too.

43-50 Attila the Hun’s got nothing on you!

The items in this New Internationalist self-survey are loosely based on the work of psychologists who, after 1945, set out to explore the personality characteristics which made certain people more receptive to Nazi ideas. See ‘The Authoritarian Personality’ by Adorno et al.

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