How do I keep running into idiots who are positive they are intelligent?

Does the South no longer require history in schools, or do they just teach "alternative facts?" The Nazis were not really socialists. Only someone with no education would believe that. This site is getting extremely frustrating to be on. How do you converse with someone who is completely ignorant, but is positive they are right? When did we decide that education was bad and that ignorance was cool?

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Xuan12 · 31-35, M

Humans don't have a good grasp of soundness or validity for their arguments. It's just not a natural instinct. And, catch-22, trying to explain that to them is going to be really, really difficult. XD

Often facts and definitions take a backseat to emotions and preconceptions. Humans often make value judgements on things in a split-second, and anchor their opinions there before giving it any thought. Moving that opinion will already require more effort, and if they are doing mental backflips, or someone persuasive is deceiving them, then it gets even more difficult. Argument about the point can actually entrench them more, because now they perceive themselves as invested in the position. The most stubborn of which often leads to absurdity, which is how you get people doing insane things for insane reasons.

Humans are creatures capable of reason, not creatures of reason.

SW-User

@Xuan12 I hadn't realized quite how bad people are with this until I read a study from the CDC on ways to effectively combat anti-vaxxer nonsense. Giving more facts and research to someone who has already made up their mind on something actually makes them cling to their beliefs even more. So how in the world do you effectively combat this?

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@SW-User Natural selection.

SW-User

@Xuan12 Yeah, but these are the people who have 15 kids. Some of them will survive. =/

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@SW-User And hopefully after seeing their siblings suffer from preventable illnesses, the kids are smarter.

SW-User

@Xuan12 One can only hope.

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@SW-User Truthfully it'll probably take another serious outbreak, and then society will be comfortable making people get the immunizations again.

SW-User

@Xuan12 I believe that you are probably correct. My sister-in-law recently posted some things about not wanting to vaccinate my baby niece. I immediately contacted my little brother, only to be told that scientists are biased and lie to support their own agenda. I am heartbroken. I thought I raised him better than this.

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@SW-User I've seen people die for lack of simple antibiotics like amoxicilin, $10 in almost any pharmacy in America. It's probably a side effect of medicine having done too good a job of protecting us. People have forgotten that these things can kill you.

SW-User

@Xuan12 Heartbreaking

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@SW-User Worse still, I found out the drugs were actually in the area, they were just reserved for the more affluent. 3rd world life for you.

SW-User

@Xuan12 Wait. Seriously? I thought you meant that the people didn't want the medicine, not that they weren't being given it. Are you serious?

Xuan12 · 31-35, M

@SW-User No medicine was wanted. I was sick too, but I think I did better because I came from America and had better health to begin with. I was waiting for medicine to be shipped in when it was there all along. It didn't even come in time for me, I had already begun recovery by the time any got there.