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Knowing things that 'others' (except the millions of other Facebook users who read the same nonsense) don't know makes the person feel special - which is actually quite human and understandable.
Conspiracy theories also provide simple explanations for things that are complex, and hard to understand - like the complexities of how epidemics spread, or how architects are not expected to reliably model what happens when a plane crashes into a building. Searching for simple explanations is also human and understandable.
We now have the worlds knowledge at our finger tips but don't yet have the tools to access/asses the knowledge in a meaningful and educated way.
I see that in my kids, they have no idea that what they learn at school is just scratching the depth of learning in any specific area. They feel they can educate me on something I have years of experience with, because they read something on the internet.
Our investment in education should be going up, I personally think GCSEs should now be at the age of 18 rather than 16 and shift everything along a couple of years. There is so much new knowledge to gain, but the fundamentals cannot be compressed away to nothing. The arts have suffered because of this as has physical education. What will be next, geography, history? I can even see maths being a victim, because we all have calculators now, no point in learning long division.
I feel fortunate I went into science and engineering, loved biology/chemistry at school. This gave me basic reasoning skills and enough knowledge to question bullshit when I see it, but I always check first.
I often hang my head in shame when I see people arguing online that masks don't work, because flu rates are down but covid is on the up, yet RO numbers have been talked about since the beginning of the pandemic. Add RO numbers and simple probablity (GSCE maths) and you can quickly work out why a mask works, e.g. RO becomes less than 1 for flu from a relatively low RO number in the first place but RO > 1 for covid because it starts from a higher base.
In the 80/90s we were taught about sources of information, primary, secondary etc. How to back up arguments with sources, what are good sources, what aren't. Evidence being important.
And so approaching stuff I know nothing about I at least know how to find the information required, and which information is more trustworthy.
My parents and many of their peers never learned that kind of thing - leaving school at 14. My dad's main source of news now is The Sun. God help us.
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
I felt that way about Brexit - why are the masses being asked their opinion on what is a very complex subject, and so much more than just ‘taking back control’.
So it makes me wonder - if the public were given the chance to vote on the death penalty, would they approve it ?
When I was in my teens, I was quite interested in anarchy and a society led by ideals. I like the idea, but sadly feel that society just isn’t smart enough and does need to be governed.
I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.
As much as I dispise the current government, I am glad they are a buffer between me and "the people"
If we could vote on every issue, we'd have the death penalty, would pay zero tax, have a fully funded NHS, all earn millions of pounds, etc, etc.
And live in a bankrupt country, where a loaf of bread costs £1m , no NHS, no roads, no unemployment benefit, etc, etc.
Individuals are relatively intelligent, people are thick as pig shit.
When saying we have a government that recommended precisely what we got - do you mean Brexit ?
I don’t think this is particularly revelatory or pretentious though - but this is me riffing thoughts rather than studied analysis. Perhaps idealism is pretentious ?