>> It’s not just a problem of people wanting to believe what ain’t so - it’s a problem of ‘knowing’ what ain’t so and refusing to consider otherwise. <<
Indeed. You're exactly right. That's another item Esteban talks about in his article, which I honestly didn't include because I felt my piece was already going too long. But this discussion is great for helping us to bring out even more points!
From Esteban:
"In 2021, researchers at Stanford University conducted an experiment where participants were shown demonstrably false news stories that aligned with their political views, followed by clear corrections with evidence. For approximately 30% of participants, belief in the false information actually increased after seeing the correction.
This counterintuitive response occurs because challenges to our deeply held beliefs can feel like threats to our identity, triggering defensive reasoning. Rather than processing the correction objectively, we scrutinize it more heavily than information that confirms our views, looking for flaws that allow us to dismiss it."
An additional observation. I’m an advocate for preserving rail in the face of a national effort to turn rail corridors into rail trails. I see the same ‘facts’ over and over. Nobody wants to ride/needs trains. Restoring passenger rail is too expensive and will take too long. Self driving cars will solve traffic problems. Rail trails will revitalize communities and provide an economic boost. We don’t need commuter rail - buses can do it all. And so on.
It’s not just a problem of people wanting to believe what ain’t so - it’s a problem of ‘knowing’ what ain’t so and refusing to consider otherwise.
I am reminded of one of the local Mobile politicians who opposed Mardi Gras service asking “Why would anyone want to come here?”
In “The Shockwave Rider” the late John Brunner described a society so overloaded with information, people had to medicate themselves to handle the stress. He also described the paranoia coming from the absolute certainty there was information that was vital to your interests - but you didn’t know exactly what it was, how to access it, or who did know about it while you couldn’t. It’s becoming more and more difficult to know what to believe or whom to trust.
>> It’s not just a problem of people wanting to believe what ain’t so - it’s a problem of ‘knowing’ what ain’t so and refusing to consider otherwise. <<
Indeed. You're exactly right. That's another item Esteban talks about in his article, which I honestly didn't include because I felt my piece was already going too long. But this discussion is great for helping us to bring out even more points!
From Esteban:
"In 2021, researchers at Stanford University conducted an experiment where participants were shown demonstrably false news stories that aligned with their political views, followed by clear corrections with evidence. For approximately 30% of participants, belief in the false information actually increased after seeing the correction.
This counterintuitive response occurs because challenges to our deeply held beliefs can feel like threats to our identity, triggering defensive reasoning. Rather than processing the correction objectively, we scrutinize it more heavily than information that confirms our views, looking for flaws that allow us to dismiss it."
An additional observation. I’m an advocate for preserving rail in the face of a national effort to turn rail corridors into rail trails. I see the same ‘facts’ over and over. Nobody wants to ride/needs trains. Restoring passenger rail is too expensive and will take too long. Self driving cars will solve traffic problems. Rail trails will revitalize communities and provide an economic boost. We don’t need commuter rail - buses can do it all. And so on.
It’s not just a problem of people wanting to believe what ain’t so - it’s a problem of ‘knowing’ what ain’t so and refusing to consider otherwise.
I am reminded of one of the local Mobile politicians who opposed Mardi Gras service asking “Why would anyone want to come here?”
In “The Shockwave Rider” the late John Brunner described a society so overloaded with information, people had to medicate themselves to handle the stress. He also described the paranoia coming from the absolute certainty there was information that was vital to your interests - but you didn’t know exactly what it was, how to access it, or who did know about it while you couldn’t. It’s becoming more and more difficult to know what to believe or whom to trust.