Since it came up in conversation today, I retook the Political Compass test for the first time in many years.
Here is how I scored:

For comparison, I was able to find my results from December 2001, not long after the test debuted. I was wondering how my views have evolved with time. So... how does Nomad v.2015 compare with his past self from thirteen and a half years ago?
Interesting! I'm still lodged quite nicely in the bottom left corner of the compass. This is no surprise. But my economic views have moved even further to the left, nearly maxing out the scale. Meanwhile, my social views have become marginally more authoritarian. In fact, the shift on the two is almost equal in magnitude, if opposite in direction (-1.12 for the economic scale, +1.08 for the social scale).
Politically speaking, my two most signficant events of the past thirteen and a half years would be (a) my time as an activist, and (b) my experience as an expatriate and immigrant.
The December 2001 score was logged just as I was beginning to get active. I've been an Anarchist since at least age 17 (back in 1992), but I was only an activist from 2001 - 2007 -- with peak years from Feb 2002 to May 2006. So that's where I sat just before things ramped up.
Meanwhile, I'm sure that the shift in my social score was affected by answering "agree" with the statement that "First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country." Back then, I probably said "Disagree" or "Strongly Disagree". Today, I said "Agree". I presume this question labels one as more socially conservative, as that tends to be the anti-immigrant faction of society. In my case, I'm not at all anti-immigrant -- I am an immigrant! But, being one, I know that I've not been able to fully integrate with my new country. Going from one English-speaking country to another, the transition was easier than most. Even so, I've been in the UK for nearly a decade, I've naturalised, I've taken up the English folk art of church bell ringing, I've seen more of England than most English people I know (and every Shakespeare play)... but I still stand out as a foreigner. Just two words out of my mouth and folks assume I'm "on holiday".
Last week alone, I had one person ask where I was visiting from (at an Oxford museum), another person who presumed I was moving to the States when I said we would soon be leaving Oxford (I'm not -- I'll be going up North to Sheffield), and a third person who spat at me in the street. Yeah, last week. (This week has had none of the above, but that's because I'm in Japan right now...)
So, yeah, not fully integrated yet. I'm seriously considering taking up elocution lessons, just so I can stop standing out like a sore thumb. Most people asking about where I'm visiting from are just being friendly. I don't blame any one person... but you sure get tired of explaining yourself over and over again, several times each week. Nevermind the accent, I'm British, thank you very much.
Anyway, I'm sure this made me seem more "socially conservative" and probably drove much of the shift in score. Although, given the circumstances, I would argue that being an immigrant has made me more aware of what we go through -- not less sensitive to it!
Meanwhile, it's nice to see that I haven't gotten to be more of a conservative right-winger with age!
ETA: Here is how I compare with the UK parties in last month's general election:

Is it any wonder, then, that I joined the Green Party?
Here is how I scored:

For comparison, I was able to find my results from December 2001, not long after the test debuted. I was wondering how my views have evolved with time. So... how does Nomad v.2015 compare with his past self from thirteen and a half years ago?
DATE | Economic | Social |
---|---|---|
2001-12 | -8.63 | -9.18 |
2015-06 | -9.75 | -8.10 |
Interesting! I'm still lodged quite nicely in the bottom left corner of the compass. This is no surprise. But my economic views have moved even further to the left, nearly maxing out the scale. Meanwhile, my social views have become marginally more authoritarian. In fact, the shift on the two is almost equal in magnitude, if opposite in direction (-1.12 for the economic scale, +1.08 for the social scale).
Politically speaking, my two most signficant events of the past thirteen and a half years would be (a) my time as an activist, and (b) my experience as an expatriate and immigrant.
The December 2001 score was logged just as I was beginning to get active. I've been an Anarchist since at least age 17 (back in 1992), but I was only an activist from 2001 - 2007 -- with peak years from Feb 2002 to May 2006. So that's where I sat just before things ramped up.
Meanwhile, I'm sure that the shift in my social score was affected by answering "agree" with the statement that "First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country." Back then, I probably said "Disagree" or "Strongly Disagree". Today, I said "Agree". I presume this question labels one as more socially conservative, as that tends to be the anti-immigrant faction of society. In my case, I'm not at all anti-immigrant -- I am an immigrant! But, being one, I know that I've not been able to fully integrate with my new country. Going from one English-speaking country to another, the transition was easier than most. Even so, I've been in the UK for nearly a decade, I've naturalised, I've taken up the English folk art of church bell ringing, I've seen more of England than most English people I know (and every Shakespeare play)... but I still stand out as a foreigner. Just two words out of my mouth and folks assume I'm "on holiday".
Last week alone, I had one person ask where I was visiting from (at an Oxford museum), another person who presumed I was moving to the States when I said we would soon be leaving Oxford (I'm not -- I'll be going up North to Sheffield), and a third person who spat at me in the street. Yeah, last week. (This week has had none of the above, but that's because I'm in Japan right now...)
So, yeah, not fully integrated yet. I'm seriously considering taking up elocution lessons, just so I can stop standing out like a sore thumb. Most people asking about where I'm visiting from are just being friendly. I don't blame any one person... but you sure get tired of explaining yourself over and over again, several times each week. Nevermind the accent, I'm British, thank you very much.
Anyway, I'm sure this made me seem more "socially conservative" and probably drove much of the shift in score. Although, given the circumstances, I would argue that being an immigrant has made me more aware of what we go through -- not less sensitive to it!
Meanwhile, it's nice to see that I haven't gotten to be more of a conservative right-winger with age!
ETA: Here is how I compare with the UK parties in last month's general election:

Is it any wonder, then, that I joined the Green Party?