It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble.
Attributed to various people
It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.
A few months ago, this blog received the comment quoted below. As the administrator of my own WordPress blog site, I did not “approve” this comment to go online for reasons that should become obvious. I quote it here, minus the writer’s name, to illustrate a certain mindset.
You have no idea what you are talking about since you are apparently a never-Trumper. The ones to be wary of are Mitt Romney and those who follow him. Our President Trump is fighting to save the Constitution. It would be wonderful if people like you would do the same instead of supporting anti-America people.
This comment was posted as a response to my blog post of April 27, 2020 entitled, “A Warning of Impending Destruction.” The post itself was largely devoted to Dr. Hugh Nibley’s concept of “the Nephite Disease” and did not mention Donald Trump at all.
One of the commenters on the post (with whom I agree) referred to Trump as a “vicious dictator wannabe.” I presume it was that comment, rather than my original blog post, that set off this person’s diatribe.
Logical fallacies
In fifty-six words, this writer made at least ten errors in logic:
- Sweeping generalization: Any person who opposes Trump automatically has “no idea” what they are talking about.
- Jumping to a conclusion: Assuming the person being addressed is “apparently” a member of a group of anti-Trump Republicans.
- Unsupported assertion: Claiming that one should be “wary of” Mitt Romney without providing a reason.
- Bandwagon: Implying that the majority supports “Our President Trump.”
- Failure to define terms: What does it mean to “save the Constitution.”
- Unsupported assertion: Providing no examples of what Trump is actually doing to “save the Constitution.”
- Bandwagon: Saying “it would be wonderful” if the other person joined the Trump camp.
- Name-calling: Calling anyone who opposes Trump “anti-America people.”
- Failure to define terms: Who, exactly, are the “anti-America people” and what shows them to be “anti-America”?
- Unsupported assertion: Implying, with no evidence, that the other commenter, Mitt Romney, and anyone who may oppose Trump on any issue is “anti-America.”
To me, the above flaws in the writer’s presentation demonstrate an absolute ignorance of the people and the issues this person wrote about. Yet, at the same time, the absolute sureness of the writer about the strength and truth of her own position is astonishing. This writer is both ignorant and arrogant.
Combining false information with the power of social media
I have written about the Dunning-Kruger effect in which a person is so incompetent they cannot see their own ignorance. Wikipedia says it stems from “the inability of people to recognize their lack of ability.”
What we are seeing more of now seems a bit different. People are now purposefully choosing to seek out, listen to, and believe false information. They then turn around and proudly flaunt their ignorance on social media.
Arrogant ignorance is a combination of false information and power. Online social media have exponentially magnified the ability of professional liars to spread misinformation. They also allow the deceived to share their ignorance widely. The internet has empowered the ignorant to be more arrogant.
People used to say that “Ignorance is bliss.” However, rather than remaining innocently, quietly, and blissfully ignorant, many people are now coming out as proudly, assertively, and arrogantly ignorant. These people stubbornly, even angrily, refuse to listen to anyone or anything that could enlighten them.
Ultimately, arrogance always leads to increased ignorance. It is a form of self-imposed blindness. It is impossible to learn anything new if you already believe you know everything.
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
Source: Owen M. Williamson, “Master List of Logical Fallacies,” University of Texas at El Paso, January 2018.
I too am alarmed at the certainty that people use in approaching one another online.
We (as a society) are all too eager to take the sound bite or bumper sticker as a statement of irrefutable fact and run with it as the basis for an argument. Life is, and individuals are, incredibly nuanced. To ignore this reality is to waste our breath and miss one another’s humanity in the process.
I hope some will stop and think before posting so they might inform themselves and produce a well-reasoned argument that contributes to better discourse. I realize this may be a hope in vain.
The Lincoln/Douglas debates took hours, then they broke for dinner only to come back and continue again for hours. Not only those two did this but a large crowd who sat and listened. Today, you attempt to talk about something happening in the world with someone and you can be immediately dismissed with “Oh you’re a democrat.” Of course they could substitute any number of other words like RINO, Socialist or progressive and the discussion is over. Thanks for writing this article and at least defining what so many people are afflicted with when it comes to talking about current events.
This is timely and important. Humanity being what it is, reminders about critical thinking are always timely and important.
Very powerful and sadly, relevant message for our troubling times.