Comments on: People With One Watch, Part I http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:49:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: The Mahablog » The Wisdom of Doubt, Part IV http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-256495 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 12:09:54 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-256495 [...] I wrote awhile back about elective ignorance. People practicing elective ignorance start with a point of view and then admit into evidence only those facts that support their point of view. Those with a really bad case of elective ignorance become incapable of acknowledging facts that contradict their opinions. Thus, Christopher Hitchens came to the remarkable conclusion that Martin Luther King was not really Christian; acknowledging MLK’s Christianity contradicts his faith that religion is the root of all evil. If the facts don’t fit, change ‘em. [...] […] I wrote awhile back about elective ignorance. People practicing elective ignorance start with a point of view and then admit into evidence only those facts that support their point of view. Those with a really bad case of elective ignorance become incapable of acknowledging facts that contradict their opinions. Thus, Christopher Hitchens came to the remarkable conclusion that Martin Luther King was not really Christian; acknowledging MLK’s Christianity contradicts his faith that religion is the root of all evil. If the facts don’t fit, change ‘em. […]

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-74009 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:53:14 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-74009 nikto -- No one is intrinsically anything; there are causes and conditions that give rise to other causes and conditions. Name calling can be very gratifying -- in indulge in it myself from time to time -- but it has no practical application. nikto — No one is intrinsically anything; there are causes and conditions that give rise to other causes and conditions. Name calling can be very gratifying — in indulge in it myself from time to time — but it has no practical application.

]]> by: nikto http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-73902 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:37:13 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-73902 Great post--Very eloquent! Soooooo... Conservatives are the way they are because they're fearful, vulnerable souls who seek certainty and "rightness" at all costs, even if they have to tell constant fibs to themselves and others. to maintain their sanity and self-respect. Gosh, and I thought it was just because Conservatives were dishonest, hateful, prejudiced, ignorant, greedy, immoral SCUM. Maha's explanation was very sensitive and deep. But, still... I think my explanation has a lot of merit to it. Great post–Very eloquent!

Soooooo…

Conservatives are the way they are because they’re fearful,
vulnerable souls who seek certainty and “rightness” at all costs, even if they have to tell constant fibs to themselves and others. to maintain their sanity and self-respect.

Gosh, and I thought it was just because Conservatives were
dishonest, hateful, prejudiced, ignorant, greedy, immoral SCUM.

Maha’s explanation was very sensitive and deep.

But, still…

I think my explanation has a lot of merit to it.

]]> by: The Mahablog » Richard Dawkins and Fundamentalist Atheism http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-66519 Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:27:19 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-66519 [...] Unfortunately, like every other fundamentalist atheist I’ve ever encountered, he is profoundly ignorant about religion as a whole. The small part of religion he knows and writes about is not representative of the whole. He’s like a really backward space alien who lands on the North Pole and assumes the whole planet is covered by ice. And, because he doesn’t respect religion enough to study it, he remains willfully ignorant of it. This is, pure and simple, elective ignorance, which is the hallmark of a fanatic. [...] […] Unfortunately, like every other fundamentalist atheist I’ve ever encountered, he is profoundly ignorant about religion as a whole. The small part of religion he knows and writes about is not representative of the whole. He’s like a really backward space alien who lands on the North Pole and assumes the whole planet is covered by ice. And, because he doesn’t respect religion enough to study it, he remains willfully ignorant of it. This is, pure and simple, elective ignorance, which is the hallmark of a fanatic. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » Being Good http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-38930 Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:52:39 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-38930 [...] Last July I wrote a three-part series explaining why the purists are wrong on the embryonic stem cell question; here is Part I, Part II, and Part III. Parts II and III in particular focus on the disinformation about stem cell research being spread by the purists to defend their “logical” opinion. I wrote, The fact is, opponents of stem cell research routinely lie — to themselves, to each other, to anyone who will listen — in order to defend their belief that embryonic stem cell research is immoral. This suggests to me that the real reasons people object to stem cell research have less to do with moral principle than with some deeply submerged but potent fear. And this takes us back to elective ignorance. Something about flushing all those blastocysts makes the Fetus People uncomfortable in a way that condemning Henry Strongin to death does not. The arguments they make against stem cell research, which are mostly a pile of lies and distortions, are not the reasons they are opposed to stem cell research. They are the rationalizations created to justify their opposition. [...] […] Last July I wrote a three-part series explaining why the purists are wrong on the embryonic stem cell question; here is Part I, Part II, and Part III. Parts II and III in particular focus on the disinformation about stem cell research being spread by the purists to defend their “logical” opinion. I wrote, The fact is, opponents of stem cell research routinely lie — to themselves, to each other, to anyone who will listen — in order to defend their belief that embryonic stem cell research is immoral. This suggests to me that the real reasons people object to stem cell research have less to do with moral principle than with some deeply submerged but potent fear. And this takes us back to elective ignorance. Something about flushing all those blastocysts makes the Fetus People uncomfortable in a way that condemning Henry Strongin to death does not. The arguments they make against stem cell research, which are mostly a pile of lies and distortions, are not the reasons they are opposed to stem cell research. They are the rationalizations created to justify their opposition. […]

]]> by: Erk http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21977 Wed, 02 Aug 2006 01:36:49 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21977 This makes a lot of sense. It also plugs in well with the concept of Truthiness (what you want to be true despite any facts the contrary). IE people are addicted to the truthiness, the actual truth is discarded. Why do people fall into this trap? Emotional payoff. Truthiness is more emotionally satisfing, and easier to understand. The actual truth is confusing, containing shades of gray, may require introspection, admission that you were wrong about some things, etc. This makes a lot of sense. It also plugs in well with the concept of Truthiness (what you want to be true despite any facts the contrary). IE people are addicted to the truthiness, the actual truth is discarded. Why do people fall into this trap? Emotional payoff. Truthiness is more emotionally satisfing, and easier to understand. The actual truth is confusing, containing shades of gray, may require introspection, admission that you were wrong about some things, etc.

]]> by: The Mahablog » Ah HAH! http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21838 Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:05:25 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21838 [...] You might remember that one component of the Elective Ignorance Theory is that a person’s worldview is integrated into his self-identity. For this reason, challenges to his worldview are perceived as threats to himself. [...] […] You might remember that one component of the Elective Ignorance Theory is that a person’s worldview is integrated into his self-identity. For this reason, challenges to his worldview are perceived as threats to himself. […]

]]> by: The Mahablog » A Tale of Two Wankers http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21700 Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:11:44 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21700 [...] Hanson appears to be wallowing in elective ignorance; he doesn’t want to believe Israel could be doing something bad, so he filters and rearranges facts accordingly. [...] […] Hanson appears to be wallowing in elective ignorance; he doesn’t want to believe Israel could be doing something bad, so he filters and rearranges facts accordingly. […]

]]> by: Bluesplayer http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21283 Tue, 25 Jul 2006 01:35:19 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21283 Great read! I can't get over the similarities between this perspective and that of John Dean in his book "Conservatives Without Conscience" about authoritarianism in American politics. Great read! I can’t get over the similarities between this perspective and that of John Dean in his book “Conservatives Without Conscience” about authoritarianism in American politics.

]]> by: The Mahablog » People With One Watch, Part III http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21070 Sat, 22 Jul 2006 19:54:47 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/07/20/people-with-one-watch-part-i/#comment-21070 [...] The fact is, opponents of stem cell research routinely lie — to themselves, to each other, to anyone who will listen — in order to defend their belief that embryonic stem cell research is immoral. This suggests to me that the real reasons people object to stem cell research have less to do with moral principle than with some deeply submerged but potent fear. And this takes us back to elective ignorance. Something about flushing all those blastocysts makes the Fetus People uncomfortable in a way that condemning Henry Strongin to death does not. The arguments they make against stem cell research, which are mostly a pile of lies and distortions, are not the reasons they are opposed to stem cell research. They are the rationalizations created to justify their opposition. [...] […] The fact is, opponents of stem cell research routinely lie — to themselves, to each other, to anyone who will listen — in order to defend their belief that embryonic stem cell research is immoral. This suggests to me that the real reasons people object to stem cell research have less to do with moral principle than with some deeply submerged but potent fear. And this takes us back to elective ignorance. Something about flushing all those blastocysts makes the Fetus People uncomfortable in a way that condemning Henry Strongin to death does not. The arguments they make against stem cell research, which are mostly a pile of lies and distortions, are not the reasons they are opposed to stem cell research. They are the rationalizations created to justify their opposition. […]

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