Psychology
Dr. Bloom — Why are so many professors conservative?
January 5, 2026 · Psychology
On why institutional conservatism in academia stems more from psychological sunk costs than from deliberate obstruction.
Paul Bloom's essay asks why so many professors resist change. I think the answer is less about hidden agendas and more about psychological investment.
Professionals who have devoted decades to building expertise and accomplishments within existing systems face existential discomfort when fundamental paradigm shifts are proposed. When professors reject significant institutional change, they're not necessarily motivated by ideology. Rather, proposed transformations implicitly devalue the lifetime of work and accumulated professional standing these individuals have constructed. It's a threat to their sense of worth built over multiple decades.
Understanding this doesn't mean we should stop advocating for beneficial change—it just means we should approach that advocacy with some empathy for why those deeply invested in current structures experience anxiety about dismantling them.