Researchers Discover People Are Politically Stubborn

[champu 1]

...because department colleagues were already developing thesis on whether or not bears shit in the woods.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/?page=1

[JohnRich 4]

AM NOT!

[mnealtx 0]

Here's a snippet from a blog responding to Keohane - he makes a good point, I think:

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I agree with Joe Keohane on what he says toward the end of his piece: that those with a media voice need to ensure a price is paid for the retailing of bad information. But a person who knows that welfare correlates strongly with out-of-wedlock birth, multigenerational dependency, low educational achievement, and crime isn’t retailing bad information – or forming his opinions without good information – if he isn’t able to recite the percentage of the federal budget that goes to welfare programs. Let’s keep these things straight.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[mnealtx 0]

This part of the the Globe's article was interesting, too:

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And if you harbor the notion — popular on both sides of the aisle — that the solution is more education and a higher level of political sophistication in voters overall, well, that’s a start, but not the solution. A 2006 study by Charles Taber and Milton Lodge at Stony Brook University showed that politically sophisticated thinkers were even less open to new information than less sophisticated types. These people may be factually right about 90 percent of things, but their confidence makes it nearly impossible to correct the 10 percent on which they’re totally wrong. Taber and Lodge found this alarming, because engaged, sophisticated thinkers are “the very folks on whom democratic theory relies most heavily.”

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

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AM NOT!

ARE TOO!!

And that sums up well over half the threads here in SC

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[wmw999 2,644]

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politically sophisticated thinkers were even less open to new information than less sophisticated types. These people may be factually right about 90 percent of things, but their confidence makes it nearly impossible to correct the 10 percent on which they’re totally wrong

There is no "solution". Because we're talking about people, and there isn't any one best way to approach the really big, complex problems. So people, even intelligent ones, can disagree with each other. Hopefully they discuss the differences and come up with something that will work towards either a solution or at least a less problematic state.

As an example -- is there a single right solution (besides not fucking up in the first place) to the mess in the Gulf?

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[JohnRich 4]

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Quote

AM NOT!

ARE TOO!!

And that sums up well over half the threads here in SC

DOES NOT!

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

Quote

Quote

AM NOT!

ARE TOO!!

And that sums up well over half the threads here in SC

DOES NOT!

DOES TOO!!

Just look at the last few posts in the "Green Jobs in Germany" thread.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[wmw999 2,644]

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These people may be factually right about 90 percent of things, but their confidence makes it nearly impossible to correct the 10 percent on which they’re totally wrong

After reading some threads lately, I think I"ll take the sophisticated thinker who can't be convinced 10% of the time. Because the alternative seems to be willing to assert the same bullshit over and over and over and over. And think stupid is better than "too smart."

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[mnealtx 0]

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These people may be factually right about 90 percent of things, but their confidence makes it nearly impossible to correct the 10 percent on which they’re totally wrong

After reading some threads lately, I think I"ll take the sophisticated thinker who can't be convinced 10% of the time. Because the alternative seems to be willing to assert the same bullshit over and over and over and over. And think stupid is better than "too smart."

Wendy P.

And the same can be said for that 'sophisticated thinker' when they're wrong and "asserting the same bullshit over and over and over and over".

It's not the 'intelligence' that's the issue - it's the arrogance that all too often goes with it.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Amazon 7]

Quote

Quote

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These people may be factually right about 90 percent of things, but their confidence makes it nearly impossible to correct the 10 percent on which they’re totally wrong

After reading some threads lately, I think I"ll take the sophisticated thinker who can't be convinced 10% of the time. Because the alternative seems to be willing to assert the same bullshit over and over and over and over. And think stupid is better than "too smart."

Wendy P.

And the same can be said for that 'sophisticated thinker' when they're wrong and "asserting the same bullshit over and over and over and over".

It's not the 'intelligence' that's the issue - it's the arrogance that all too often goes with it.

Well you seem to.....be good with it