4 ms·

When I was a kid ignorant people kept their thoughts in their heads safe and tucked away or maybe told a few people near them that knew better. Now they let th

When I was a kid ignorant people kept their thoughts in their heads safe and tucked away or maybe told a few people near them that knew better. Now they let them out on social media where they can find other ill-informed people and reinforce one another. I don’t know a way around this filter step. Maybe it naturally will resolve. As Stewart Brand said, information wants to be free. I will be optimistic enough to believe that means correct information. The science and empathy just isn’t well distributed yet. “The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.” -William Gibson

im3w1l 6y ago
Religion is on the decline.
- dane-pgp 6y ago
  Perhaps that explains why people are increasingly adopting dangerous secular myths, such as those about vaccines and the Deep State.
  - Shaanie 6y ago
    Seems unlikely, if that was the case then wouldn't you expect such things to be much more common in largely secular countries than the US?
- Reedx 6y ago
  I think it's just changing form. Old religions being replaced by new religions. Old priests with new priests. Old gods with new gods.
nullc 6y ago
"Information wants to be free" is a physical law, not a moral rallying cry. In many cases the promiscuous nature of information works heavily against human welfare. One aspect of that is that incorrect information spreads as well -- sometimes better-- than correct information.
f6v 6y ago
> Now they let them out on social media where they can find other ill-informed people and reinforce one another. People have been able to share incredibly stupid ideas with high efficiency even before the social media.
rootsudo 6y ago
Before you were a kid, people talked and shared secrets and inner desires with one another. What is ignorant, what isn't? Discussion about a king? A president? What sort of people you want to be around? What is dissident can become a movement and become superior. How do you decide which is which?

im3w1l 6y ago

Religion is on the decline.

dane-pgp 6y ago
Perhaps that explains why people are increasingly adopting dangerous secular myths, such as those about vaccines and the Deep State.
- Shaanie 6y ago
  Seems unlikely, if that was the case then wouldn't you expect such things to be much more common in largely secular countries than the US?
Reedx 6y ago
I think it's just changing form. Old religions being replaced by new religions. Old priests with new priests. Old gods with new gods.

nullc 6y ago

"Information wants to be free" is a physical law, not a moral rallying cry. In many cases the promiscuous nature of information works heavily against human welfare. One aspect of that is that incorrect information spreads as well -- sometimes better-- than correct information.

f6v 6y ago

> Now they let them out on social media where they can find other ill-informed people and reinforce one another. People have been able to share incredibly stupid ideas with high efficiency even before the social media.

rootsudo 6y ago

Before you were a kid, people talked and shared secrets and inner desires with one another. What is ignorant, what isn't? Discussion about a king? A president? What sort of people you want to be around? What is dissident can become a movement and become superior. How do you decide which is which?