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Observationally, self-serving denial seems to go through steps: 1. It's not happening. 2. Ok, it is happening, but it's not our fault. 3. Ok, it is our fault

Observationally, self-serving denial seems to go through steps: 1. It's not happening. 2. Ok, it is happening, but it's not our fault. 3. Ok, it is our fault, but it's too hard to be worth addressing right now. 4. Ok, it would have been worth addressing at the time, but it's too late so we should learn to live with it. These apply generally across the political spectrum, but specifically with respect to climate change, if people are shifting from step 1 to step 2 and even step 3 as per the article I suppose that is a form of progress in the sense that they are moving closer to reality. Having said that, no step requires that anyone take action or make sacrifices so practically it doesn't matter which step they're on.

me_me_me 3y ago
there is no accepting it state, people believe in flat earth. There is nothing you can do for them. No fact or reasoning will ever convince them and it only entrenches their convictions. They want to feel special for figuring out 'the thing' and the reality of it not being 'the thing' means they are idiots and back to being idiots. A largely unacceptable proposition (there are people who do get out).
- tourmalinetaco 3y ago
  This goes the other way as well. While even the most basic rules of critical thought denies a flat Earth, no amount of critical thought or science can prove objectively what’s going on with the Earth. Anyone who says otherwise is massively oversimplifying and misunderstanding what science actually is. There is very little that is concrete in science (known as “laws”), everything else is our best guess and can change as time goes on. And especially when corporate interests are at play, it muddies the entire conversation.
ajuc 3y ago
Timothy Snyder calls this pattern of motivated thinking "politics of inevitability". At first you think everything's fine so you don't have to do anything. Then when it's no longer possible to lie to yourself about that you immediately switch to "can't do anything anyway" so you can continue doing nothing. His main example was the "end of history" when dealing with autocracies around the world. At first we thought they will solve itself because we're on the winning side of the history. Then we immediately switched to "nothing can be done". Anything to avoid taking responsibility.
cagenut 3y ago
The Narcissist's Prayer That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, that's not a big deal. And if it is, that's not my fault. And if it was, I didn't mean it. And if I did, you deserved it. by Dayna Craig
WithinReason 3y ago
Well summarized in Yes Minister: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSXIetP5iak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSXIetP5iak
- asoneth 3y ago
  I knew I recalled it from somewhere, thank you!

me_me_me 3y ago

there is no accepting it state, people believe in flat earth. There is nothing you can do for them. No fact or reasoning will ever convince them and it only entrenches their convictions. They want to feel special for figuring out 'the thing' and the reality of it not being 'the thing' means they are idiots and back to being idiots. A largely unacceptable proposition (there are people who do get out).

tourmalinetaco 3y ago
This goes the other way as well. While even the most basic rules of critical thought denies a flat Earth, no amount of critical thought or science can prove objectively what’s going on with the Earth. Anyone who says otherwise is massively oversimplifying and misunderstanding what science actually is. There is very little that is concrete in science (known as “laws”), everything else is our best guess and can change as time goes on. And especially when corporate interests are at play, it muddies the entire conversation.

ajuc 3y ago

Timothy Snyder calls this pattern of motivated thinking "politics of inevitability". At first you think everything's fine so you don't have to do anything. Then when it's no longer possible to lie to yourself about that you immediately switch to "can't do anything anyway" so you can continue doing nothing. His main example was the "end of history" when dealing with autocracies around the world. At first we thought they will solve itself because we're on the winning side of the history. Then we immediately switched to "nothing can be done". Anything to avoid taking responsibility.

cagenut 3y ago

The Narcissist's Prayer That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, that's not a big deal. And if it is, that's not my fault. And if it was, I didn't mean it. And if I did, you deserved it. by Dayna Craig

WithinReason 3y ago

Well summarized in Yes Minister: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSXIetP5iak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSXIetP5iak

asoneth 3y ago
I knew I recalled it from somewhere, thank you!