The American public, on balance

[Orrex]

Poll question: The American public, on balance

I ask this because I am endlessly horrified to see the growing number of people who aren't simply ignorant, but who glory in their ignorance and go to great lengths to nurture it, going so far as to become really aggressive if you dare to challenge that ignorance, on any front.

What is your view? Am I simply seeing more of these people because of greater visibility, or are their numbers actually on the rise?

[quartz]

1. Entitlement = ignorance + arrogance

[NC_Nurse]

2. I think people are so dependent on TV and such that they grasp any jingoist

explanation or talking point they can so they don't have to actually think or do
their own research. Some of it is because the average person is running around
trying to make ends meet all of the time. They don't want to admit that they're
being screwed, they would just feel helpless to change it. So they live in ignorance
and denial.

[frogcycle]

3. I guess I have a slanted perspective

I always scored in the 99th percentile - so I consider 99% to be - well, kind of, you know...

[Orrex]

4. I have some bad news for you...

Everyone I know scored in the 99th percentile. I smell a scam! :evilgrin:

[frogcycle]

7. well, in the generation after mine, sure

and they all got a prize for showing up

[eowyn_of_rohan]

5. some seem to think being uninterested in politics is real savvy

"all politicians are liars"
"both parties are to blame"
etc

[Orrex]

6. Good call

I see similar "savvy" in declaring one's proud ignorance of science and math, too.

But if we want to discuss a knowledge pop culture trivia, Americans are unsurpassed. :eyes:

[NeedleCast]

8. We increasingly live in a society that hates intellectualism

All glory to God and football (not that I don't like football...)

People don't like to feel like others are talking down to them and as the basic level of knowledge goes down, that bar gets lower and lower. In an age where travel is easier and easier people are doing less and less of it.

I think it can mostly be attributed to a lack of curiosity in most people. Not only do people not know something, they don't want to know. That's truly sad in an era where information is more readily available than in any point in the past. Many developed countries have developed to the point where we have to do less and less to maintain what we have That's usually the point where things are ready to go to shit. You could ask the Romans but, well, things went to shit with their empire.

[galileoreloaded]

9. If the average IQ is 100, thn something like 16% of people have an IQ lower than 85.

n/t