Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Quote of the Day: Ridiculous Ideas
Virtually no idea is too ridiculous to be accepted, even by very intelligent and highly educated people, if it provides a way for them to feel special and important. Some confuse that feeling with idealism. – Thomas Sowell
This seems to be the era for that kind of thinking. Some people advocate saving the world by banning straws. Others insist any speech they disagree with is hate speech, unprotected by the Constitution, and prosecutable. Others insist the only way to save the Republican party is vote a straight Democratic ticket this fall. And let’s not get into those who argue the Moon landing was faked or that the collapse of the Twin Towers was due to a government conspiracy rather than Islamofascist terrorists because, truth.
The folly of these beliefs is obvious, yet many of those advocating them are completely sincere and absolutely convinced of the correctness of their stands. In many cases they believe that if you oppose them your are not just wrong, you are evil. Nor are these stupid people. Many are highly intelligent and highly educated – and completely oblivious to the folly in their position.
Why? I honestly do not know.
I think that is why I find this quotation so appealing. Sowell’s contention is some people are so obsessed with a need to feel special and important that they latch on to some nonsense idea in the belief its advocacy will make them special and important. You cannot reason with such people. You cannot show them through logical argument that they are wrong. About the only thing you can do is shake your head and tell them, “Bless your heart.” Then move on and spend your time (which is finite) on more valuable activities.
Published in General
I think I need to go comment “Bless your heart” on a couple of posts.
In the South, that is a vicious insult: “He don’t have the brains that God gave gravel, bless his heart…”
I can think of at least one guy…
Dare ya to include a Southern decoder with your “Bless your heart” comments :-)
I am not so nice. Some ditsy female came to my door yesterday, regarding Sen Tester, and when I said no, she started babbling nasty remarks about President Trump. I said, BS, and shut the door in her face. I probably would have choked trying to get out “Bless your heart.”
My family has been in the South since shortly after Jamestown was settled. Shakespeare was still alive when we left Warwickshire. If anyone is capable of wielding a “bless your heart,” I certainly can.
I disagree that they always sincerely believe the ridiculous ideas.
To sincerely believe that something is true, it means that you would, if you had to, bet your life on it.
Do proponents of 9/11 trutherism really believe what they say they do? In other words, would they literally bet their life on it? How about Alex Jones when he said Sandy Hook was faked? Would he bet his life on it?
When people convince themselves to “believe” weird things, in many cases it’s as if they set up a separate compartment in their brains where the weird belief exists, but isn’t subject to the same rules of verification as other beliefs. This is only likely to happen when believing the wierd belief has no negative consequences (such as would happen if you believed you could fly) and actually has immediate benefits, such as what Sowell said about feeling important or special.
Some might say that applies to believing in God or Jesus as a literal person, etc.
I’ve noticed that generally when a person believes in one conspiracy theory, they believe in virtually all of them. The overlap between 9/11 truthers, moon landing deniers, anti-vaxxers, and chemtrail adherents is huge. I think it’s two things: 1. a desire to be different (I have the knowledge!) and 2. that it’s easier to believe bad things are the result of evil agency than accept that things happen that can’t be controlled.
It could. If someone wouldn’t bet their life on the truth of one of their religious beliefs, then they don’t really believe it.
My family settled Jamestown, some of those of the “if you don’t work, you don’t eat” variety. I didn’t inherit the “bless your heart gene.”
And with nary a CoC violation flag, too, I’d wager, given your talent with words. I say wield away…Charge of the Southern Brigade!
I agree, and would add a #3. It gives the “believer” a sense of belonging to an especially enlightened and exclusive group. In other words, it gives them identity that they would not otherwise have.
This entry is part of our Quote of the Day series. We have 9 openings left on the September Schedule for your wisdom. We’ve even include tips for finding great quotes. It’s the easiest way to start a Ricochet conversation, so why not sign up today?
One of my favorite Sowell quotes.
I would guess “Have a blessed day” works just as well.
It reminds me of today’s WSJ article about the Fed, which at least acknowledges its contributing role in the economic catastrophe of 2008 through the years of the Obama administration.
They believe that the cause of the problem is that they didn’t use the right tools to manage the world’s economic relationships. They believe that they have now finally identified the tools that will permit them to perform the godlike mission they have accepted, after earning academic and work credentials which give them the magical powers needed.
When I was a new nurse, I would argue with the anti-vaxxers. Now I just (figuratively) shake my head and go on. Even when confronted with overwhelming evidence of the idiocy of their beliefs, these people persist. If you read that article, note how she calls anti-vax a “journey.” It’s not a journey if you are stuck in the same place.
Have a blessed day.
You don’t say.
https://twitter.com/FlatEarthReal/status/866764509796593664
Alex Jones is a performance artist. Whether he is Bill Hicks mockingly (and then very profitably) playing early-90s Rush Limbaugh…..I’m not sure if I would bet my life on it, but I’d hate to have to bet my life either way giving the odd coincidences and the improbability of his Jones-ian age.
Perhaps it’s actually Sacha Baron Cohen! One way or another, it’s a put on on some, if not all, levels.
Sounds like CYA from the highest members of the Swamp.
But to give them some (if little) credit, we did survive the Obama administration without the dollar completely in the toilet.
If it were not for those with compromised immune systems who cannot get vaccinated and depend on herd immunity for survival I’d be good with anti-vaxxers not getting themselves and their children vaccinated and think of it as evolution in action. But they are like drunk drivers. No one sheds too many tears for the drunk drivers that kill themselves, but too often they take an innocent with them. Same with anti-vaxxers.
You should have invited her in and discussed issues with her. All the time she spent talking to you was time not spent talking to a potential Tester voter. “Well, bless your heart, little lady. Here have another cookie and tell me more.”
There would be a simple solution to all this: Allow businesses (including schools, hospitals and insurance companies) not to serve people who are not vaccinated. In emergency situations, have them bear the extra costs of isolation.
I would just Like the Comment if it weren’t for its inclusion of the above observation.
I have to add this: Priceless.
That would be like giving the mosquitoes credit for a portion of the populace surviving a smallpox epidemic.
That has got to be a joke.
People like owning knowledge which puts the above others.
I’ll remember your advice next one that comes to my door. However, she was talking so fast, babbling actually, that I couldn’t even ask her in, let alone discuss any issues. I finally managed to blurt out, BS in it’s entirety, and slam the door. I am not a Tester fan. I’m going to hang up my Trump flag next to my American flag, and hope they see them before getting to my door. Besides, I have a seriously, painful broken toe, had to hobble out to the front door, and listen to her babble. Only the screen protected her from my stick. Couldn’t hold the screen open and wack her at the same time. She had her vicious, evil spiel about President Trump memorized without taking a breath.
Hard to say. The trouble with the flat Earth people is that the people pushing this lunacy sound identical to those mocking them.
https://twitter.com/FlatEarthReal/status/957018075374727168
The irony is NASA used a flat-plate assumption for Saturn V first-stage guidance and the M-50 coordinate system for navigation. We reached the Moon literally by assuming the Earth was flat, and the Earth was the center of the universe.