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You've heard of Elon talk of 'the woke mind virus'? Whether or not it's a thing, there is a concept of memetic viruses like computer viruses. There's also 'psy-

You've heard of Elon talk of 'the woke mind virus'? Whether or not it's a thing, there is a concept of memetic viruses like computer viruses. There's also 'psy-ops', but psy-ops are usually intentional and pushed by some group, whereas mind viruses arise unintentionally. A few others: Anti-Vaccine, Flat Earth, Doomscrolling, Productivity etc. Well there's another. It captures people in their late 20s and 30s. It's getting political. It's getting far to ensconced in politics. You should treat politics like you are work at HF and your job is to find base reality truth. If not you become well, one of those guys, and unless you work in Government - no one wants to hear it. California (largest state) burning is not good. Florida (3rd largest state) having rising house costs is not good. Don't get captured by tribalism.

bilbo0s 2y ago
There are no mind-viruses. There are ideas. Some you like. Some you don't like. The fact that people feel a need to call ideas mind viruses is an indication of how far rational civic discourse has fallen. People have nothing of substance to offer in support or refutation, so they speak of mind viruses instead. But here's the thing, a person not liking an idea doesn't make the idea a mind-virus. It's an idea. Ideas are good. Ideas are how we advance as a species. Please try to appreciate that other people have ideas on how things should work. In fact, very traditional ideas on how democracy should work. You vote, you get what you voted for, good for you. Simple. Elegant. Fair. My idea is that there is no need to be unhappy for people who get what they want through democratic means. That's not a mind virus any more than being woke, pro-vaccine, or pro-flat earth, or anti-flat earth, or anti-woke, or whatever is a mind virus. These are just ideas. Mine just happens to be a very pro-democratic idea. You voted. You supported the guy or gal with the idea that you wanted. Good for you Florida. Not the idea I would have supported, but, hey, I respect your democratic right to self determination. Hope it works out for you.
mindslight 2y ago
One of these tribes repeatedly puts too much faith in their politicians to represent their interests, and then goes to work making excuses for why their legislation always seems to end up with loopholes, resulting in an ever-accreting ball of regulatory capture embraced by big business. The other tribe just voted to outright destroy our government, on a spectrum somewhere between straight spite and handing control over to the very consumer surveillance industry that they themselves had been complaining about. When the other tribe tried to engage about the multiple bold lines being crossed and where the path would inevitably lead, they jeered and caricatured the frustration as "tears". I'd say that some schadenfreude about a smaller situation with quicker feedback is an understandable coping mechanism.

bilbo0s 2y ago

There are no mind-viruses. There are ideas. Some you like. Some you don't like. The fact that people feel a need to call ideas mind viruses is an indication of how far rational civic discourse has fallen. People have nothing of substance to offer in support or refutation, so they speak of mind viruses instead. But here's the thing, a person not liking an idea doesn't make the idea a mind-virus. It's an idea. Ideas are good. Ideas are how we advance as a species. Please try to appreciate that other people have ideas on how things should work. In fact, very traditional ideas on how democracy should work. You vote, you get what you voted for, good for you. Simple. Elegant. Fair. My idea is that there is no need to be unhappy for people who get what they want through democratic means. That's not a mind virus any more than being woke, pro-vaccine, or pro-flat earth, or anti-flat earth, or anti-woke, or whatever is a mind virus. These are just ideas. Mine just happens to be a very pro-democratic idea. You voted. You supported the guy or gal with the idea that you wanted. Good for you Florida. Not the idea I would have supported, but, hey, I respect your democratic right to self determination. Hope it works out for you.

mindslight 2y ago

One of these tribes repeatedly puts too much faith in their politicians to represent their interests, and then goes to work making excuses for why their legislation always seems to end up with loopholes, resulting in an ever-accreting ball of regulatory capture embraced by big business. The other tribe just voted to outright destroy our government, on a spectrum somewhere between straight spite and handing control over to the very consumer surveillance industry that they themselves had been complaining about. When the other tribe tried to engage about the multiple bold lines being crossed and where the path would inevitably lead, they jeered and caricatured the frustration as "tears". I'd say that some schadenfreude about a smaller situation with quicker feedback is an understandable coping mechanism.