I think it might speak against the idea. Because there is a strong probability that it is chosen, not because evidence/logic/etc leads to it, but because it is popular with one's friends. Not saying it's necessarily so, but there's a strong probability.

(Which would lead to "truth can only be gotten from antisocial weirdos". Which is kinda bleak I guess.)

But yes. I think that the 99% of people get their whole reality from consensus. No actual independent thinking except in the details. And there is also a vast hostility to the strange there. Maybe that's "tribalism".

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's true where I live in mormon country, USA. People are told what to think by the church, and they also are instructed who to vote for by the church. The Mormons often say, " my church does my thinking for me." I guess it relieves people of the responsibility of having to make choices for themselves. That to me is much bleaker than truth being obtained from weirdos.

Which I think it correct. It takes a "weirdo" to be either crazy or brave enough to say anything that goes against the popular viewpoint. Most people can handle almost anything better than they can handle being unpopular or called weird.

[–] cameron_vale@lemm.ee -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It's funny. People I know who are religious. They may have a head full of scripture but dogmatism isn't as ubiquitous as you might think. And often behind that scriptural thinking is a proper humility. An understanding that these eyes and this brain are just a speck. A dot of illumination in a vast night. Fine modern scientific and/or theological theories notwithstanding.

The popular arrogance, otoh, is childish. Smug certainty that you have truth in hand. I find that hard to swallow.

Drugs and meditation are the best cure for it as far as I can tell.

I like meditation a lot.