4 ms·

So then why is HN, a community full of people who are much more educated than average and much more frequently employed in fields where logic and reason are key

So then why is HN, a community full of people who are much more educated than average and much more frequently employed in fields where logic and reason are key, so constantly receptive to the "hysteria on the fringes" take on such issues? Reddit, 4cham, other cesspools like that I get, but why HN? This community fancies itself as having a little more rationality and self awareness than that. So either there's an explanation for why those takes gain as much traction here or... (this is a serious question)

saiya-jin 4y ago
Smarter people on average != less emotional ones. What parent is complaining are emotional reactions. Here we have a proof that even HN readers do have emotions and sometimes they get the best and worst out of us, just like everybody else.
moffkalast 4y ago
Well it's not like HN is a council of Vulcans debating logic all day, we're all as human as the next guy.
- giantg2 4y ago
  Speak for yourself
  - moffkalast 4y ago
    Well it's not like I'm a council of Vulcans debating logic all day.
ClumsyPilot 4y ago
> fields where logic and reason are key, so constantly receptive to the "hysteria on the fringes" take on such issues? Many on HK has emotional intelligence id an edgy highschool student, plus often they live in a buble. This leads to poor grasp of social issues. 'Average' places like reddit are actually better in this regard.
- gruez 4y ago
  >'Average' places like reddit are actually better in this regard. That might be true in that niche subreddit you subscribe to, but it's clearly not true for /r/all.
Brybry 4y ago
Is more education and being employed in a field of logic and reason likely to make one less receptive to fringe beliefs? For example, engineers are probably overrepresented amongst Islamic extremists[1] and, from what few studies there are, may be skewed conservative and religious compared to other higher education fields. [1] https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29836/1/Why_are_there_so_many_Engineers_among_Islamic_radicals_%28publisher%29.pdf https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29836/1/Why_are_there_so_many_Engi...

saiya-jin 4y ago

Smarter people on average != less emotional ones. What parent is complaining are emotional reactions. Here we have a proof that even HN readers do have emotions and sometimes they get the best and worst out of us, just like everybody else.

moffkalast 4y ago

Well it's not like HN is a council of Vulcans debating logic all day, we're all as human as the next guy.

giantg2 4y ago
Speak for yourself
- moffkalast 4y ago
  Well it's not like I'm a council of Vulcans debating logic all day.

ClumsyPilot 4y ago

> fields where logic and reason are key, so constantly receptive to the "hysteria on the fringes" take on such issues? Many on HK has emotional intelligence id an edgy highschool student, plus often they live in a buble. This leads to poor grasp of social issues. 'Average' places like reddit are actually better in this regard.

gruez 4y ago
>'Average' places like reddit are actually better in this regard. That might be true in that niche subreddit you subscribe to, but it's clearly not true for /r/all.

Brybry 4y ago

Is more education and being employed in a field of logic and reason likely to make one less receptive to fringe beliefs? For example, engineers are probably overrepresented amongst Islamic extremists[1] and, from what few studies there are, may be skewed conservative and religious compared to other higher education fields. [1] https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29836/1/Why_are_there_so_many_Engineers_among_Islamic_radicals_%28publisher%29.pdf https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29836/1/Why_are_there_so_many_Engi...