Why do smart people listen to dumb commentators?

[hedgehog]

I know a lot of engineers, very smart men. A lot of them and their wives not only waste time listening to Rush, they actually believe what he has to say. How can people be smart enough to handle thermodynamics, calculus, materials science,etc and so dumb about politics?

[Buzz Clik]

1. Because they choose not to read about politics.

[Terry in Austin]

2. Types of stupidity

There may be a number of distinct afflictions that we lump together under the term "stupidity."

One of the most puzzling -- and appalling -- is the kind of stupidity that has nothing to do with actual IQ.

:shrug:

[salguine]

3. 'Caure they're on the TeeVee.

[izquierdista]

4. Lazy?

Because he reinforces lizard-brain thinking? When talking with educated people, I become dismissive of the opinions of those who have not finished college (Rush, Hannity, Beck) as having poorly formed opinions that would not hold up under scrutiny. Engineers may be persuaded if you can show them opinions of people who ARE educated (like Robert Reich, Paul Krugman, etc.) that contradict the ignorance that is talk radio.

[HughBeaumont]

5. Science fiction and fantasy draw LOTS of Libertarians and Republicans.

Many "South Park" libertarians. I never understood that at all.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. Because they want to believe what Rush says. It somehow validates their opinions,

regardless how illogical they are.

[Ron Green]

7. I think they're not quite educated enough to understand

the nature of creation and the connection among all people. It's easy to stand on the position that our differences are more significant than our commonalities, thereby justifying letting the "free market" do its thing on the less fortunate.

[dem629]

8. Why does anyone listen to the radio or TV partisan hacks on either side?

Thankfully, the latest ratings show roughly 5 million people consume that stuff. That's only 1.6% of our population. Good news.

[ljm2002]

9. Being smart in one area...

...does not necessarily translate into being smart in another area. Lots of very smart engineering / mathematical / technical types don't bother informing themselves on political matters. Furthermore, they buy into the idea that we live in a meritocracy -- it works well for them, since they are at the top of the heap, due in their minds strictly to their own efforts. These are the types who say of displaced workers, "Well why don't they just re-educate themselves? Why do they think they should be able to live and work in the same place all their lives?" These people have had the ability to be mobile in their own lives and on their own terms, and have little sympathy for those who may not have nor want that same kind of mobility.

Also, they think everything can be measured. They tend to think quantitatively, rather than qualitatively. What they fail to realize, is that quantitative thinking is as easily manipulated as is qualitative thinking -- you just use different means. As Mark Twain said, there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. You can use numbers to back up any preconceived notion you like, if you try. And Republicans and their mouthpieces take it a step further, making up numbers on the fly to back up their bogus positions. And these "smart" people don't do the research themselves, they just eat it up and memorize the numbers.

Finally -- these sorts believe themselves to be objective and rational and not susceptible to appeals to their lizard brains. Unfortunately just the opposite is the case, and they are easily manipulated. Even more unfortunately, once they have gone down that path, it is hard to bring them back, because then they would have to admit to being (a) wrong (something they have trained themselves not to be); and worse, (b) gullible (a shameful admission for a scientifically trained person).

That's how I see it anyway.

[Echo In Light]

20. Good post. Also, having one's focus on one specific area tends to create blind spots re others

[Johonny]

10. In my experience Engineer < PhD scientist

seriously study after study shows in general the more education you have the less likely you are to fall for Right wing crap. The conservative Engineers I know that listen to things like Rush tend to pick and choose from his "wisdom". In general they are extremely worried when he talks about science, generally love when he bashes women, taxes or minorities. Which might narrow the why a little for you.

[Towlie]

11. Hold it! Be sceptical of the premise before trying to explain it away.

[Echo In Light]

12. M$M = Indoctrination. They also rely on the same criteria as conspiracy deniers

One, they believe that given their various credentials/background/education, that there's simply no way they could personally be duped (a sense of "profe$$ionalism which often translates into a very narrow perspective, as specific views are often equated w/specific social and professional gains or losses, and either adopted or eschewed accordingly)

... and two, they bank on the idea, often misapplying the "Occam's razor" position that's merely used to bolster an illusory infallibility to their perceptive preferences, that it's somehow impossible for large numbers of people to be involved in a mass deception, and if you bring attention to such an idea, you're "crazy/delusional/ignorant," etc.

M$M pundits/commentators of all walks tend to play this card as it provides the audience a sense of unification/codification against certain persons within society that they don't like. I suspect that's the driving impetus behind "educated" people willing to support the views of snake oil salesmen: the right people and perceptions are being targeted and attacked. The hook runs deep, indeed.

[IntravenousDemilo]

13. It's our cardio.

Nothing gets us more exercised than listening to utter stupidity being uttered stupidly.

Oh, you mean those smart people! The smart people who believe Rush Limbaugh? Sorry, but that's a contradiction in terms. Besides, I've been to university, and engineers are not generally the brightest bulbs in the marquee.

[hedgehog]

14. I think part of the problem is that once someone learns one bit of esoteric knowledge,

he or she thinks they know everything. My favorite comments on global climate change have come from engineers who got as far as thermodynamics but never got as far as fluid dynamics. They couldn't understand systems with second and third order variables. (They understand simple addition and multiplication, but don't understand that sometimes systems have exponential variables for example Y cubed vs 3 times y)

[david13]

15. I have come across a lawyer who listens to that

garbage. What happened to his brain? I don't know.
dc

[hedgehog]

16. I guess people are capable of a great deal of compartmentalization.

A lot of people have advanced degrees but a limited education. My son-in-law majored in history and is certified to teach high school social studies in New York State, but he never heard of the Triangle Fire!

[hedgehog]

17. The next question is, are these people teachable, and if so,

how do we reach them?

[Echo In Light]

19. The most effective propaganda appeals to emotion masquerading as logic

...that should offer a brief insight into how incredibly difficult it is to impose an overhaul on an individual's worldview.

Generally, the only time people part company with their deeply seated, propagandistic belief system is when some defining aspect of it clashes violently with them on a very personal level. Then the bubble pops.

[indypaul]

18. It is not a matter of education.

I once knew a person who was educated to speak, read and write
seven different languages. The problem, however, was that he
lied in all seven of them. The greater question is why does
anyone purchase advertising on any of these programs and even
further, why does anyone buy their products?