The Dumb Earthers

If you poke around enough you may be shocked to discover that a large number of people around the world believe that the Earth is flat. They have what they call "evidence" to prove their position (although, as in most cases of extreme cognitive dissonance gone askew, they choose to ignore the mountains of relevant evidence in favor of their custom made arguments that are designed to fit their desired model/outcome).

So how is it that people with enough brain cells to tie shoes and turn door knobs can be so easily swayed to believe something that is so profoundly untrue?

The answer: Cognitive Dissonance!

The brain defends its view of reality (understanding of the world around) by creating reality tunnels that fit the desired model. The end result is already achieved and only specific information is allowed in to support that ideal. Any other information is dismissed, modified, or explained away as a conspiracy or a delusion. When within the trap the mind truly experiences the false information and outcome as real. Then the brain must defend this reality by creating a justification as to why anything that conflicts with it is wrong.

Psychology expert Kendra Cherry describes Cognitive Dissonance this way:

"What Is Cognitive Dissonance? Psychologist Leon Festinger proposed a theory of cognitive dissonance centered on how people try to reach internal consistency. He suggested that people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs and behaviors are consistent. Inconsistent or conflicting beliefs leads to disharmony, which people strive to avoid."

A common argument offered to the sane world by the Dumb Earthers is that their belief has evidence and the "belief" that the Earth is a globe is only based on conspiratorial lies given to us by NASA, and that the Earth being a globe is merely a "belief" based on what we have been told. Well, actually, they are stating exactly the problem with their argument, I suppose that is some subconscious projection.
They seem to think that this is a "belief vs belief" scenario and they urge us to "do the research". Well the research has been done and is exhaustive, and EVERY SINGLE POSITION they offer to support the flat Earth idea has been logically debunked. Science has taken an open position to understand reality, whereas the Dumb Earthers have taken a closed position and select their evidence to fit the closed position.
I do not believe the Earth is a globe, I UNDERSTAND that the Earth is a globe. There's a big difference.

With access to information available at the present time (2016) there should not be a single person on Earth who believes the Earth is flat, but there are many who do. That's because our psychological flaws and deficiencies will carry on far beyond our ability to control or correct them.

I will admit that while it is easy to understand that the Earth is a globe, it is not always easy for the weak-minded to understand the functions of their mind or to understand the what/why/how of beliefs.

“The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the church.”
― Ferdinand Magellan

Don't accidently walk of the edge, my friends!

Not All Opinions Are Equal (Some Are Wrong!)

Not All Opinions Are Equal

There’s a strange notion making the rounds that everyone has an opinion that should be heard and tolerated/accepted.

But there is a difference between having different opinions and having a wrong opinion. Some opinions do not deserve a voice at the table. 

Opinions are important, especially differing opinions. Various minds coming together with different ideas can lead to progress and greater ideas. In fact we can see throughout history what atrocities have occurred when like minds get together to form a majority. And we have seen positive advances in society, technology, and culture when people of various ideas put their minds together.

Some opinions are facts. Some are good theories and hypotheses. Some opinions are useful and hold merit. Some do not. Please note that a wrong opinion is not one that is simply disagreed with because it does not match another. A differing opinion is not always a wrong opinion. I am not suggesting moral relativism here. There can be varying degree of perceived "right" and "wrong" or "more right" and "more wrong". We see a great many people getting offended over nonsense that differs with their nonsense. They are appalled at things they find different and choose to be offended. This is usually a mix of entitlement, political correctness, certitude, and a defensiveness of their belief.

But there is also a such thing as WRONG opinions…

An example:

Suppose we are sitting at a table having a group discussion about human sexuality. There would be many different ideas and beliefs presented about the subject based on the particular experiences and moralities of the people in the discussion.

Now a particular person interjects that his belief is that adults should be permitted to have sex with children. This person does not only have a different belief than everyone else at the table, he also has a WRONG belief. In no way can pedophilia be justified as a legitimate opinion. Rightfully so, the guy is removed from the table with a kick to the face and then some.

Another example:

A discussion is taking place about the Jewish culture; the foods, language, and customs. Suddenly a high strung guy with a silly little moustache stands up and proclaims that Jews are inferior and should be sent away to their deaths. Adolf does not have a mere difference of opinion with the gathering, he has a WRONG opinion that he is presenting. Appropriately he is removed from the table with a kick to the face and then some.

And another example:

The discussion of American national policy is happening at our table. The person with the least brain cells, a psychologically deficient dickwad, say that we need to round up all Muslims and put them into camps. He truly believes he is right and does not see it as hate and sees no parallel to the atrocities of history because blah blah blah. Guess what happens next! That’s right. He is removed from the table by a kick to the face and then some!

And another example:

Tristan is a nice young fellow sitting at the table. When the topic of music comes up he asserts with a gleam in his eye that Justin Beiber is great and far greater than The Beatles. Ok, we won’t kick him in the face for this invalid opinion, but he does have to sit in the corner listening to every Beatles album for the rest of the night!

Not all opinions have merit. Some are wrong and do not deserve a place at the table. You may notice that wrong opinions usually involve some sort of damaging or elitist position. Although it is true that there should be no legislation against free speech, if people want to get really ignorant, they should be ready for the free speech to come back at them, and then some!

"My psychiatrist told me I was crazy and I said I want a second opinion. He said okay, you're ugly too."

-Rodney Dangerfield

Definition:

wrong

rôNG/

adjective

adjective: wrong

1. 1.

   not correct or true.

   "that is the wrong answer"

   synonyms:

   incorrect, mistaken, in error, erroneous, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, fallacious, wide of the mark, off target, unsound, faulty; informalout "the wrong answer"

   antonyms:

   right, correct

   • mistaken.

     "I was wrong about him being on the yacht that evening"
     
     
   • unsuitable or undesirable.

     "they asked all the wrong questions"

     synonyms:

     inappropriate, unsuitable, inapt, inapposite, undesirable; More ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-judged, impolitic, injudicious, infelicitous, unfitting, out of keeping, improper; informalout of order "he knew he had said the wrong thing"

     antonyms:

     appropriate

     
     
   • in a bad or abnormal condition; amiss.

     "something was wrong with the pump"

     synonyms:

     amiss, awry, out of order, not right, faulty, flawed, defective "there's something wrong with the engine"

     
     
2. 2.

   unjust, dishonest, or immoral.

   "they were wrong to take the law into their own hands"

   synonyms:

   illegal, unlawful, illicit, criminal, dishonest, dishonorable, corrupt

Too Much Credit Given To The Tool

We live in a reality of action and reaction; cause and effect. This leads us to misunderstand the role of tools and actions. Far too often people credit (or blame) the tool for the action rather than the actor.
Below is a retort to common situations where the tool is blamed for the effect of the action...

Nobody was killed by guns.
No houses were built by hammers.
Nobody was saved by surgery tools.
Nobody who hanged themselves was killed by a rope.

We hear these logical fallacies often: It is the President's fault, it's your fault, it's their fault, it's because of guns, it's in God's hands, it's because of  this or that.

All the while the only thing accomplished is a passing off of personal responsibility. By "personal responsibility" I don't only mean the self (although self-accountability is a form of personal responsibility), but also the blame we assign to something arbitrary to the committer of actions. For example, a great many people blame all Muslims for the acts of Islamic extremists, they blame guns for the acts of murderers, they blame the alcohol for their buffoonery, they blame the President (scapegoat/figurehead) for the effects of a broken system.

Often the person is overlooked and we search for some factor that played a part in their actions, and there are external factors, but those external factors may have different effects on different persons. We can see this in experiments where results are not conclusive.

• Some tests show that heavy metal music kills plants. Some tests show that heavy metal music helps plants grow. Heavy metal cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some Muslims study the Koran and (along with political influences) become violently radicalized. Some Muslims study the Koran and become vessels of peace. Islam cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some people take LSD and go insane. Some people take LSD and become enlightened. LSD cannot be blamed entirely for bad results.
• Some people use guns to commit murder. Some people use guns for self-defense, sport, or hunting. The gun cannot be blamed for it's actions or use.
• Some people eat chocolate and experience bliss. Some are allergic and almost die. Chocolate cannot be blamed entirely for death.
• Some people use a hammer to build a house. Some people use a hammer to beat someone over the head. The hammer cannot be blamed entirely for the malicious intent.
• Some people are rich and become greedy. Some people are rich and practice philanthropy and charity. The money cannot be blamed entirely for the greed of the individual.

Truthfully, we can change the battery of a car a hundred times, but that will never fix the broken transmission.

A Predicment, a Persian, but No Morbid Angel

Here is a story about one of my many interactions with Muslim people....

I have personally never had a negative experience with a Muslim person. I have encountered many over the years through daily life, wrestling life, and my cultural explorations, and I call several my friends. Yet, these days the ignorant masses try to assure us that these people are blood-thirsty monsters ready to kill us all. It simply is not true. Here's one story:

A couple of years ago I was driving from home base Austin TX to San Antonio to see a Morbid Angel concert. Just as I arrived on the outskirts of San Antonio my tire blew. No problem, I went out and did my manly deed of changing to the spare tire and continued down the road towards the concert venue. Then the old spare blew less than a mile down the road. Now I'm in a predicament, broken down on a dangerous overpass.

It was night and my phone was dying and there were no open tire places nearby. So I decided to walk to the nearest Walmart seven miles away to buy a spare so I could limp the Jeep back to Austin. At this point I had given up on my chances to get to the concert, but as luck would have it I would see Morbid Angel (with a proper musician line up) two times in the year after.

The plan was to buy a tire and take a cab back to the Jeep. The price of spare donut tires had risen considerably since I last noticed, and I spent almost all of my $100 to buy the best one that could last the trip home. I figured I could carry it the seven miles back since I had no money left for a cab.

I left the store with the tire on my left shoulder. I stood there at the parking lot curb thinking of what I could do. From my right I heard a man's voice with a Persian accent.

He said "Brother, do you need a cab?"
I replied "No thanks. I spent all my money on this tire. I can walk back to my Jeep."
"Flat tire? How far is it?" he asked.
"It's far. Just over seven miles." I answered.
He said "Pahlavan, I see your ear. I will help you. I will give you a ride for free."
("Pahlavan" is a wrestling reference in Iran that means "champion". His reference to my ear was about my cauliflower ear, which is noticeable damaged cartilage from years of wrestling. Wrestling is a national sport in Iran.)

He gave me a ride all the way back to my Jeep and wouldn't even accept the $2.37 change I had in my pocket. His kindness helped me out, and it motivated me to get my task done.

During the ride we had some light conversation.

Driver: "Where were you going in San Antonio? To see a girl?"
Me: "No. I was going to see a concert."
Driver: "Which concert?
Me: "Morbid Angel." 
Driver: "What kind of music is it?"
Me: "Heavy metal."
Driver: "Ah! Many people in my country like heavy metal!"

He dropped me off. I thanked him and he wished me well.

I put on the spare and drove 20 miles per hour on the service roads all the way back to Austin.

It was a long night for me, I missed the concert and spent many hours trying to solve the predicament, but it was made a little shorter and easier by a Muslim who treated me like a brother.

The moral lesson here about our society's general judgment about Muslims is one I had already learned, but it is worth sharing.

A Simple Dumb Test

Most people who are dumb do not realize that they are dumb.
(I use the word "dumb" here for possible need of a simple four letter terminology in case anyone dumb is reading this)
Dumb people usually think they know what they are talking about even when they don't. Hence the saying "Ignorance is bliss".
(Please note that I am not talking about relative intelligence here, but the actual limiting deficiency dumbness)

So how does one find out if they are dumb?

Here is a simple test:

Does the above photo meme make sense to you? Do you think it to be a valid position or argument?

If so, then you are dumb, too dumb to comprehend simple scientific and natural (and logical) processes.

Why are people dumb?
It isn't always a lack of education. Sometimes highly educated people are incredibly dumb.
Stupidity can be caused by a lack of education, a lack of experience (wisdom), bias, conditioning, belief, and even a steadfast adherence to one's own culture or group. There are many factors that can create the numbness of dumbness.

How did you do on this test?
Are you dumb?