Great article to share, DB, as its overall theme, the creation, spread and adoption of dangerously bad ideas, continues to poison societies everywhere. Humanity’s ability to invent a compelling narrative is only exceeded by its willingness to unquestioningly swallow it whole. And a charismatic leader can take the masses to truly dark places. Accepting that that leader has divine guidance and permission, and oceans of blood will be spilled. We often forget about the long, bloody Catholic/Protestant divide. Given that they have made common cause for the last half-century in their opposition to abortion, gay rights, and other culture war issues, these two denominations will probably remain allies, until they no longer need each other, and they can again be at each other’s throats. The article presented many longstanding conspiracies/embracing of bad ideas (persecutions of Freemasons, Catholics, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, racism), and I’m reminded of more recent panics (the daycare sex abuse hysteria of the 80s and 90s, UFO/Area 51 agitation, alien abductions, Pizza-gate, Q=Anon, etc.) I try to understand the psychological and social needs that these beliefs serve, both for the individual and the group. I have to think that individuals, being the social creatures who we evolved to be, receive identity, a sense of purpose and other tribal benefits. At the group level, it probably has to do with acquiring and holding on to power. But how do we combat these dangerous and divisive mind viruses? How do we build a healthy cognitive immune system? How do we make it safe to push back on such nonsense? It’s easy when you are criticizing one’s traditional political/religious adversary, but dissent within one’s own group is a tall order as a steep price is paid when you are labelled a blasphemer, an apostate, and are banished from the tribe, or worse. Given the powerful forces at play, and especially given how human nature hasn’t evolved for millennia, I have to think that our best approach is to cultivate a disposition of skepticism, enlightenment values, and the scientific method. The World Happiness Report of 2024 lists the following top 10 nations as: Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Australia. These are among the most secular countries on the planet. I’ll wager that they have developed a cognitive immune system whereby conspiracy theories don’t flourish, where proponents of them would be social pariahs, generating little if any traction for their bad ideas. And I know the naysayers will respond that secularism doesn’t provide the sense of identity, community, meaning…and yes, certainty in an often chaotic world, that belief systems offer. And they’re right. But at least the skeptic won’t surrender their critical faculties in the pursuit of what is true. And progress is being made abroad, and here too, as the non-religious now approach one-fourth of the population. The long, uncertain fight ahead against truly sinister groups with dangerous agendas won’t be won anytime soon. Skepticism might not be the answer anytime soon, but it’s a noble endeavor with real results to show for itself. Peter T.
Building A Cognitive Immune System
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Great article to share, DB, as its overall theme, the creation, spread and adoption of dangerously bad ideas, continues to poison societies everywhere. Humanity’s ability to invent a compelling narrative is only exceeded by its willingness to unquestioningly swallow it whole. And a charismatic leader can take the masses to truly dark places. Accepting that that leader has divine guidance and permission, and oceans of blood will be spilled. We often forget about the long, bloody Catholic/Protestant divide. Given that they have made common cause for the last half-century in their opposition to abortion, gay rights, and other culture war issues, these two denominations will probably remain allies, until they no longer need each other, and they can again be at each other’s throats. The article presented many longstanding conspiracies/embracing of bad ideas (persecutions of Freemasons, Catholics, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, racism), and I’m reminded of more recent panics (the daycare sex abuse hysteria of the 80s and 90s, UFO/Area 51 agitation, alien abductions, Pizza-gate, Q=Anon, etc.) I try to understand the psychological and social needs that these beliefs serve, both for the individual and the group. I have to think that individuals, being the social creatures who we evolved to be, receive identity, a sense of purpose and other tribal benefits. At the group level, it probably has to do with acquiring and holding on to power. But how do we combat these dangerous and divisive mind viruses? How do we build a healthy cognitive immune system? How do we make it safe to push back on such nonsense? It’s easy when you are criticizing one’s traditional political/religious adversary, but dissent within one’s own group is a tall order as a steep price is paid when you are labelled a blasphemer, an apostate, and are banished from the tribe, or worse. Given the powerful forces at play, and especially given how human nature hasn’t evolved for millennia, I have to think that our best approach is to cultivate a disposition of skepticism, enlightenment values, and the scientific method. The World Happiness Report of 2024 lists the following top 10 nations as: Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Australia. These are among the most secular countries on the planet. I’ll wager that they have developed a cognitive immune system whereby conspiracy theories don’t flourish, where proponents of them would be social pariahs, generating little if any traction for their bad ideas. And I know the naysayers will respond that secularism doesn’t provide the sense of identity, community, meaning…and yes, certainty in an often chaotic world, that belief systems offer. And they’re right. But at least the skeptic won’t surrender their critical faculties in the pursuit of what is true. And progress is being made abroad, and here too, as the non-religious now approach one-fourth of the population. The long, uncertain fight ahead against truly sinister groups with dangerous agendas won’t be won anytime soon. Skepticism might not be the answer anytime soon, but it’s a noble endeavor with real results to show for itself. Peter T.
