|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
 Posted - 11/03/2011 : 14:28:28
|
I know most here know these, but it's always good to remind ourselves, seeing as it seems our human nature often runs counter to our skeptical aspirations. Plus, this article is a particularly enjoyable read.
Some quotes and my commentary: | the researchers point out that after thousands of years of humans sitting around campfires and arguing about issues, these glaring flaws in our logic still exist. Why hasn't evolution weeded them out? The answer, they say, is that these cognitive flaws are adaptations to a system that's working perfectly fine, thank you. Our evolutionary compulsion is to triumph, even if it means being totally, illogically, proudly wrong. |
Sadly, this makes so much sense. I've caught myself doing exactly this. Not often, but there have been times when in a debate, a little inner voice has said to me, "Huh, I don't actually know if I'm right or wrong about this anymore. Am I in this because I actually give a shit what the correct answer is, or do I just want to clobber this person's ass?" And sometimes I do just want to win. I've figured out that I'm relatively good at arguing, and I have the ability to seem to "win" arguments even if I don't even agree with what I'm arguing. At least I'm aware of it and ashamed (not proud) when I do it. Er, that is unless my opponent is a real asshat. ;-)
Do you support the Occupy Wall Street movement? If so, do you find it frustrating when opponents claim the protesters have a hidden agenda and are just tools of the communists?
Do you support the Tea Party? Do you find it frustrating when opponents dismiss the movement as a bunch of racists? |
I'm glad they used this example, because even though I support Occupy Wallstreet and oppose the Tea Party, it bothers me when opponents of the Tea Party dismiss them as racists.
| Here's a good way to ruin your afternoon. Go on the Internet and find any discussion thread that brings up overweight people (like this or this one). Stand back and watch as a crowd absolutely rants about how incredibly easy it is to lose weight, and how incredibly lazy you have to be to get fat. The conclusion will be that being fat is literally a moral failing and the sign of a bad, disgusting human being. It's to the point of actual anger and violence directed toward the overweight in real life -- the fat are one of the last groups people can openly hate. |
Also glad they brought up this example. I am not overweight, but I am so fucking sick of fat bashing. It is the one time I became totally disgusted and angry about a George Carlin standup bit (Google it and you can easily find Carlin ranting on in cruel detail against fat people and associating fat with sloth and mindless consumption.) And recently my Humanist group hosted a speaker advocating vegetarianism and the very first slide the asshole showed was a very overweight person sitting at a table of empty fast food wrappers. I have a couple fat friends, and neither of them eat fast food. In fact they are always trying to eat healthier and find time to exercise, so I've just had it up to my eyeballs with this kind of bullshit stereotyping.
I think the fundamental attribution error is also contributing to all that conservative pundits trying to blame the poor for being poor. 'Cause, you know, it's so easy to be financially stable, even rich.
The #1 in the list is "Facts Don't Change Our Minds". Made me think of all the latest shit with Herman Cain's sexual harassment scandal. News breaks of a settlement for a significant amount of money (a year's severance pay - over $30K) over accusations of sexual harassment over ten years ago. As Jon Stewart pointed out on last night's Daily Show, that's just a fact. But Cain and conservative pundits have started trying to associate these "accusations" with Cain being black and running for president. So, what, were these women part of some conspiracy over ten years ago where evil liberals plotted to ruin Cain's future chances of being president? Maybe evil liberals go all around the country sabotaging any successful black conservatives on the off chance that they might run for president some day. Sheesh.
Anyway, happy reading.
|
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
|
5 Logical Fallacies
