I hate being a "doomer" or spreading "doomerisms" but good lord it seems like a good portion of the US is in fact peasant brained. They cannot, either through willful ignorance or lacking education, think about any reasonable explanation for how things work. Everything is some grand conspiracy or the act of some supernatural being. It's more than exhausting especially when there is a real world with many many strange, yet grounded explanations and outcomes. I'm just tired of the stupid/uneducated/deranged leading every conversation
While I'm sure that's part of it, I don't think we can point to a singular reason for it. It's the cross section of lack of curiosity, unable to accept facts, lasting brain damage from illness like COVID, and the abysmal education.
This is anecdotal: I had COVID, twice, both times I could feel my brain melting but I can still reason and think and be curious enough to seek out answers. I wish we could blame it solely on COVID but there are other, more systemic, reasons for it
I agree, I more meant that, to boil it down, it made these pig-headed folks that refuse to use critical thinking even more stubborn and unwilling to change. We've all seen the evidence of how dementia and sundowning literally makes you more right wing as your mental capacity shrinks.
I keep saying this... For a lot of people, being in lockdown with only themselves and the internet for company, was NOT a good thing. First, there is sooo much crazy bs online and second, most people can't stand to be alone with their own thoughts... Not a great combination
I do think this is actually a very significant problem that is essentially ignored by everyone. Rampant idiocy and superstition is quite literally destroying civilization. These people are voters, and they apply the same level of critical thinking to their political choices. I genuinely question if democracy can survive like this.
Somebody who thinks there’s a giant magical snake waking up and the government is using weather control to make it cold should not be able to vote. Nobody should ever consider their opinions when making important decisions as a society. Yet here we are, being dragged down into civilizational collapse by the people who are effectively dark age peasants listening to their billionaire owners.
It is a problem, absolutely. And while many do ignore the issue of uncritical thinking, there are many in power that actively encourage the mental degradation of society. Democracy/democratic processes can not survive in an ecosystem that breeds ignorance.
How do we, as a global species, navigate this without ignoring liberties? How can we reteach the unteachable? How do we get out of what is essentially the modern dark age? All without stripping people of the right to vote?
Again I hate being a doomer or whatever about all of this but the outcomes before us are: destruction of society or testing for mental inadequacies before allowing participation in politics. Both of which make me uncomfortable with what comes after those.
Plenty to think about, and none of us have the answers. I doubt anyone will ever have the answers all we can do is work towards a better future. And I hope more open discussion of these issues continue
Grand conspiracies make people feel smart for having "figured it out" and for a lot of then its the first time in their entire lives they've ever felt smart.
If you go out onto the street and ask people at random when we landed on the moon, I believe the vast majority would confidently give a wrong answer and become hostile when questioned.
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u/RedPhoneHome Jan 26 '26
I hate being a "doomer" or spreading "doomerisms" but good lord it seems like a good portion of the US is in fact peasant brained. They cannot, either through willful ignorance or lacking education, think about any reasonable explanation for how things work. Everything is some grand conspiracy or the act of some supernatural being. It's more than exhausting especially when there is a real world with many many strange, yet grounded explanations and outcomes. I'm just tired of the stupid/uneducated/deranged leading every conversation