Ask A Genius 601: Mash Mix on the Brain
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2021/07/11
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Scott Douglas Jacobsen: All right, so let’s discuss the topic we left off from the last session, which pertains to the proliferation of good and bad ideas. Rosner, what are your further thoughts on this?
Rick Rosner: Well, building upon what I mentioned last time, the situation in America, and perhaps in other parts of the world, is such that people who embrace bad ideas, particularly those propagated by conservative media, have been influenced for many decades. As a result, the number of individuals identifying as Republicans has been gradually declining, though not drastically. In the most recent party affiliation survey, America had 24 percent Republicans, 30 percent Democrats, and 44 percent independents. The remaining percentage was unspecified. This significant decrease applies to both Democrats and Republicans, but the decline is more pronounced among Republicans. However, there remains a stubborn group of people who are susceptible to falling for anything. They have been consistently exposed to Republican material, which consists of flawed and deceptive information, for decades. These individuals represent the remaining core believers. At this point, they are predisposed to accept anything they hear from their preferred sources, including Fox News, as well as increasingly conservative news channels like OAN and Newsmax. They also rely on various websites such as Breitbart and others. Regardless of the circumstances, there are conservative pundits who will come up with explanations, no matter how far-fetched, that align with their worldview. Consequently, they have become detached from accountability and the need for their beliefs to align with reality.
Moving on, bad ideas require a network of individuals who support and reinforce them, despite the resistance of reality. It is advantageous to have millions of people who have been preconditioned to be receptive to bad ideas. This is the current state of affairs, as demonstrated by the four-year experiment with Trump, which revealed him to be a detrimental figure for the country. Under Trump’s leadership, the number of unemployed individuals reached unprecedented levels, and due to COVID, the death toll surpassed that of any previous presidency. Many of these deaths can be attributed to COVID, accounting for 40 percent of the excess deaths, along with increased population and a 30 percent rise in opioid overdoses. Despite Trump’s promise to address the opioid crisis, he failed to take any significant action. The only notable achievement was the tax cut for the wealthy. Moreover, there hasn’t been a successful infrastructure bill since December 2015, which was passed during Obama’s presidency. Trump’s tenure was marked by a lack of accomplishments, evident to everyone except his loyal supporters.
You asked me about distinguishing between a good idea and a bad idea in general. Recently, I have been listening to comedy routines on Sirius radio, where they have several comedy channels. A good joke routine relies on astute observations and reflects sound thinking. Just because it is humorous doesn’t mean it lacks intellectual merit. A comedian takes a keen observation and supports it with personal anecdotes to reinforce their comedic thesis. Therefore, there are certain elements that contribute to a good idea, such as familiarity. By using familiar elements that people are aware of, one can introduce novel and interesting ideas. Not everything in a good idea needs to be familiar; it can combine familiar aspects with new ones. However, maintaining a connection with people’s experiences and aligning with their understanding of the world is crucial for a good idea. Conversely, bad ideas often present falsehoods, distort facts, and deviate from what people know and comprehend. They tend to be overly complicated and require a reliance on hidden information. Essentially, the bad ideas people consume from conservative media often involve conspiracies and discourage individuals from trusting their direct experience of the world. Instead, they are presented with alternative narratives for which there is no evidence, and they are expected to accept them without question.
In conclusion, I could delve further into the topic of differentiating between good and bad ideas, but for now, let’s conclude this session.
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