When someone says “I believe xyz exists ”, I would expect evidence of XYZ existing. That the majority of humanity happens to share that belief is irrelevant to whether or not XYZ actually exists.
Without evidence, those beliefs are not based in rational thought. Humans are complicated, emotions, social coercion and all manner of other messy bullshit affect how we see and perceive the world.
Intelligence doesn’t make one rational, nor does it predict the kind of things one comes to believe. Most fake news, (false) conspiracy theories, etc, are succeeding because they’re presented in a way that bypasses analysis and reasoned thinking- by going straight to the primal emotions.
Which is why, for example, “Think of the children!” Is the rallying cry of Republican assholes pushing anti-LGBTQ bullshit; it bypasses reasoning for the easy and immediate emotion.
When someone says “I believe xyz exists ”, I would expect evidence of XYZ existing. That the majority of humanity happens to share that belief is irrelevant to whether or not XYZ actually exists.
Without evidence, those beliefs are not based in rational thought. Humans are complicated, emotions, social coercion and all manner of other messy bullshit affect how we see and perceive the world.
Intelligence doesn’t make one rational, nor does it predict the kind of things one comes to believe. Most fake news, (false) conspiracy theories, etc, are succeeding because they’re presented in a way that bypasses analysis and reasoned thinking- by going straight to the primal emotions.
Which is why, for example, “Think of the children!” Is the rallying cry of Republican assholes pushing anti-LGBTQ bullshit; it bypasses reasoning for the easy and immediate emotion.