quote:

That would, of course, assume that those who voluntarily forgo vaccinations (even publicize the value of so-doing), are less intelligent but that would be extremely partisan.

And wrong.

A hefty proportion of the anti-vax movement is composed of highly educated people, often women, who are sometimes described as "the crunchy granola" type. And the leadership of the movement is hardly composed of uneducated buffoons.

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Originally posted by Piano*Dad:

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That would, of course, assume that those who voluntarily forgo vaccinations (even publicize the value of so-doing), are less intelligent but that would be extremely partisan.

And wrong.

A hefty proportion of the anti-vax movement is composed of highly educated people, often women, who are sometimes described as "the crunchy granola" type. And the leadership of the movement is hardly composed of uneducated buffoons.

Looks like we have quite a striking discrepancy between WTF estimates of the smarts of the anti-vax people.

I suggest there's a polarization between them - some brighter, some less so.

Of course, we can't assume that education equals intelligence. Maybe one could suppose that the "crunchy granolas"(are there soggy granolas?) are higher income so that they can afford to protect themselves and their families maximally by social distancing and other healthy practices.

(Given that most of those highly exposed to the virus aren't able to avoid it - apart from the MDs - in that they are the ones working in grocery stores, delivering and so on. Not the top 1% or thereabouts.)

I've noticed that a fair number of the grocery store folks argue quite a lot about the risk they're facing - "I wouldn't wear this mask if I weren't obliged to". That's where we are probably dealing more with denial than intelligence.

If someone can afford to take to a new country residence and have their food delivered by the peons, they are probably less apt to worry about vaccines. Remembering reading about some of the upper crust in (Black) Plague times who escaped infection by precisely such withdrawal.

Trying to remember the names of a few very famous scientists who produced some of their best works while sequestered in their country estates.

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A hefty proportion of the anti-vax movement is composed of highly educated people, often women, who are sometimes described as "the crunchy granola" type. And the leadership of the movement is hardly composed of uneducated buffoons.

Education does not equal intelligence, Professor.

I have some of those crunchy granola types in my social circle. After having conversations with them about vaccinating, I've been forced to conclude they lack the capacity for logic and reasoning. They think they are being critical thinkers. I think they are simply being dumb.

Whether or not to get vaccinated is not some complicated calculus. And yet they failed to see the solution.

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Originally posted by piqué:

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A hefty proportion of the anti-vax movement is composed of highly educated people, often women, who are sometimes described as "the crunchy granola" type. And the leadership of the movement is hardly composed of uneducated buffoons.

Education does not equal intelligence, Professor.

...Whether or not to get vaccinated is not some complicated calculus. And yet they failed to see the solution.

And don't forget, it's not just an analysis of the level of risk they're assuming by by-passing vaccination, but the level of risk they're subjecting others to - perhaps ones far more vulnerable for reasons of pre-existing health.

That's not just a question of intelligence but of social responsibility.

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Originally posted by piqué:

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That would, of course, assume that those who voluntarily forgo vaccinations (even publicize the value of so-doing), are less intelligent but that would be extremely partisan.

Partisan? How about obvious.

People who ignore facts, science, logic despite the risks of their behavior to themselves and their loved ones are not smart.

"People who ignore facts, science, and logic despite the risks" have the same voting power as you or me. THAT's the part that doesn't make sense to me. Tgheir vote and mine count the same, and they are sacrificing votes, which could mean something in closely contested future races.


The thing with misinformation is that it is seductively packaged and people dont' get "the other side" of the story in much the same way that we don't get "the other side of the story" when things happen that don't cast progressives in a favorable light.

I hesitate to tell people how inferior they are. Instead I try to figure out what they are reading. shaming people for being less educated or informed or less exposed to ther world has never set well with me and most certainly has never converted anyone's thinking.

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Originally posted by Big John:

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Originally posted by piqué:

quote:

That would, of course, assume that those who voluntarily forgo vaccinations (even publicize the value of so-doing), are less intelligent but that would be extremely partisan.

Partisan? How about obvious.

People who ignore facts, science, logic despite the risks of their behavior to themselves and their loved ones are not smart.

"People who ignore facts, science, and logic despite the risks" have the same voting power as you or me. THAT's the part that doesn't make sense to me. Tgheir vote and mine count the same, and they are sacrificing votes, which could mean something in closely contested future races.


The thing with misinformation is that it is seductively packaged and people dont' get "the other side" of the story in much the same way that we don't get "the other side of the story" when things happen that don't cast progressives in a favorable light.

I hesitate to tell people how inferior they are. Instead I try to figure out what they are reading. shaming people for being less educated or informed or less exposed to ther world has never set well with me and most certainly has never converted anyone's thinking.

I don't care what people are reading or in seeing things from their point of view any more. I understand people who think differently than I do and whose culture and values are different from mine very well. I've lived among them for decades. Some of them are people I have respected, and still love.

I would never tell anyone they are inferior because I don't believe there are inferior or superior people. We are all sentient beings with the same rights.

But there are people who make choices that harm others, and this cannot be tolerated.

The real problem is that how people get information has changed faster than the mores and guidelines and ethics of information sharing has been able to contain. And people are gullible and swayed by dishonest information sources. We have to be able to control that or we no longer have a democracy.

BTW, I've known some very smart people with a 10th grade education, and some highly educated people who couldn't reason their way out of a paper bag.