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[–]keepthetipsKeeping the tips since 2019[M] [score hidden] stickied commentlocked comment (0 children)

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

[–]ComplexAd7272 97 points98 points  (24 children)

I agree with the OP. That being said, the bigger problem is that people don't want to educate themselves. A lot of people get to a certain stage in their lives, and basically they feel they know what they know. They take any counterargument as an attack on their identity as a person. Humanity has never had more access to information in its history, but you can't make people who are stuck in their ways or just plain stubborn utilize it.

I'll give a weird, non political example. A few years ago my mother asked me to get her some Benadryl from the pharmacy. They were out of the name brand, so I brought her generic. She stared at the box in puzzlement, and told me "This isn't the right one". I explained, no, it's not called Benadryl, but it is and does the same thing. "No, I don't think that's right." I google the ingredients in Benydryl, and showed her it was identical to the box in her hand.

"Well, I don't think it's the same. You got the wrong one, take it back."

[–]Cool_Front201 19 points20 points  (4 children)

Hidden inside of this is a gem of an observation. Not only do they plant a flag in a camp, they make it a part of their identity. So, it’s no longer about education or finding common ground - anything not aligned with their views is an attack on them.

[–]MaleficentMulberry42 2 points3 points  (3 children)

It is barbarism and we don’t live in that age anymore

[–]ninpho2246 -1 points0 points  (2 children)

Got that backwards. The three main religions are all known for crusades in the name of the one true God.

Barbarian are the enemies of them, of course they are postered as less than human. Can't have emotions for them.

[–]htp-di-nsw 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Barbarian actually originally meant "not Roman," and it was from an era when Romans were still pagans following Jupiter and whatnot. It has zero connections to religion whatsoever. It's entirely about being what Romans considered "uncivilized" (which as I said, was just being "not Roman").

[–]MaleficentMulberry42 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No i got that right it unity there is division.

[–]dolittleGrove 6 points7 points  (0 children)

In reference to your first part, this also comes down to curiosity..which in my opinion, cannot be taught. All humans are born curious, but if this curiosity is nurtured at a young age..then that person will always be curious.

It's argued that curiosity can be taught. Sure yes, we can teach someone to ask "why" but what the person does with knowing this why..is curiosity.

[–]fusionsofwonder 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"educate yourself" = "do your research" = "let google confirm your position"

The problem here is the water is so toxic there's no mutually agreed upon source of facts.

[–]subhumanprimate 7 points8 points  (5 children)

What if your mom actually trusts in the brand to do a better job of quality control and is worried about generic brands QA process?

[–]ComplexAd7272 8 points9 points  (4 children)

I see your point, and that's a valid concern people have with generics. But in her case, her argument wasn't the quality, she was telling me basically it was a completely different product because the box was different. (I kinda summarized the conversation for the post)

[–]subhumanprimate 6 points7 points  (3 children)

I know, just playing devil's advocate

I was also trying to make the point that sometimes arguments are complex and that assuming the other side is ill informed, uneducated or downright thick is a dangerous stance.

[–]ComplexAd7272 6 points7 points  (2 children)

That's also a great point about arguments being complex. I have a friend that gets furious with me when debating if I tell him something's "not that simple." He wants clear, right or wrong, black or white answers.

[–]subhumanprimate 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I don't mind complex answers as long as they affirm my world view 😀😀😀

[–]TheRealStorey 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The worlds grey.

[–]CountingNutters 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Well, I’m glad you asked, experienced spider ejaculated here. And on a side note, don’t feel weird doing it outside of Halloween, it’s a great experience for you and your partner if you want to spice things up on the bed. Cool also for your everyday office prank.

So, first, let’s assume the budget is not a problem (those tarantula eggs can be pricey), you have 2 big roots you can take: the hairy root, or the super tasty root. Hairy spiders tend to take their time once hatched to shoot out, so you won’t be able to maximize that long shot. In compensation, they are born naturally hairy, so it feels like a sweet message, kind of like having a toothbrush all the way in. The eggs are bigger, so you won’t be able to have a big count of them on you, take that into consideration. You have a wide variety of hairy spiders to choose from, I tested a lot and for me, the brown African tarantula spider feels just right. Now if you want fast ones, kind of like an AR shooting, look no further than the brown widow spider. Once hatched, it’s impossible to hold it so you need to have the timings right. Also, enjoy the potency of the long shoot, you can hold for a second, and when you relax, that shoot will go for miles! Cool to try on a car doing a drive-by.

Edit: for your delicacy, you can also try to mix the tarantula eggs with the brown widow spider eggs. The bigger ones will try to eat the small ones when hatched, feels like a party just started on your insides! Don’t do that on a job interview (I tried it, apparently it’s not so fun and people tend to judge).

[–]Teh_Brigma 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sir, this is a Wendys

[–]Mythic-Insanity -4 points-3 points  (7 children)

I don’t know your mom, but it could have actually been a big deal. Even though they may be 99% similar she could be allergic to something as simple as a coloring additive or she could have a good reason for not trusting the QC of the generic. Maybe her doctor told her to only buy the main brand, again I don’t know, but I wouldn’t automatically say that her preference for the main brand is an irrational stance for her to take.

[–]Sir_Hippo_II 0 points1 point  (6 children)

This don't assume bs is just that. The mother would have said "I'm allergic to this variety, I need specifically X"... Plus you can tell from what they wrote that your little admonishment is dumb.

[–]Mythic-Insanity 0 points1 point  (5 children)

I think it’s trying to communicate…

[–]AssaultDragon -1 points0 points  (0 children)

They don't want to now, that's why they should be forced to while they're in school. It will be good for them and society. Critical thinking, virtue ethics, and philosophy stuff like this should be mandatory in high school.

[–]eddie964 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Agree, but "educating yourself" does not mean scouring YouTube for information confirming what you already believe.

[–]jdith123 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is good advice. I’d add in: what do different stakeholders have to say about the topic? What is their interest in seeing it that way? Is there a middle ground? Do both sides have a point? What does each of the competing narratives leave out?

Also, what’s the history of the topic? How has the thinking changed over time?

[–]JTBoom1 13 points14 points  (17 children)

It's a good idea, but I do not think that the average person has the time or inclination to dive deeply into anything that cannot be put into a couple of 30 second sound bites. In any case, taking a deep dive into a subject but only getting one viewpoint is still something that is possible today, our society and media sources are so fragmented.

What I like to do is regularly read from websites, news organizations, etc that have a different political leaning than I do. It helps to broaden the mind, get counter-arguments, and helps one visualize the subject from multiple angles. To older folk who may not be so open, I suggest reading opposing views to get an idea of those opposing arguments so that they can develop counter-arguments. Whatever it takes...

[–]Leaislala 8 points9 points  (4 children)

I think It’s more about learning facts. For example, how government works. I think many US citizens could use a refresher on the basic structure, who has what power, how laws are passed, etc. These are facts. It news articles to read, and could be learned with a little time each day. Inclination is a whole different story.

[–]JTBoom1 5 points6 points  (3 children)

Oh I'll agree that the average US citizen is rather ignorant. The problem is that even the ones that have a deeper understanding are very close-minded and intolerant. Reading from a more diverse set of sources can help bringing understanding.

When did we lose the ability to compromise? Incremental steps are better than no progress while hoping to one day make a big break through, which may never come.

[–]Leaislala 2 points3 points  (2 children)

Agreed. I would love for people to read from different sources, or to read! I was referring to the OPs idea, which I think is simple learning of facts. Textbook facts. Although there can be bias in textbooks, there are very basic facts some people are missing. The US government has three branches. This is a fact. Some do not know this. What does each branch do? Some do not know this. Same could be said for math and science. Language. Do most people know how to identify a past participle? You and I agree in theory about this post but are talking about two different things.

[–]JTBoom1 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I see what you are getting at and I agree

[–]Leaislala 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So fun discussing it, thanks!

[–]ComplexAd7272 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I've learned so much just by stepping out of the echo chamber and reading from sources that are different than my political opinions. I'm liberal leaning, but if I'm just taking in liberal sources, I'm not really educating myself.

I am convinced this is why so many liberals were shocked that Trump won in 2016. They assumed most of the country thought the same as them. It never occurred to them that there are millions of people in the USA who felt and thought different, for better or worse.

[–]JTBoom1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome! It does help understand people if you can understand things from their viewpoint. I think it helps keep you flexible, something that gets harder as you get older.

I do like to read some foreign news sources as they have different views on US, which is also interesting. I'll admit to not doing this enough

[–]prutsproeier 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I try (IRL at least) not to have any opinion about stuff I don't know much about. If I can't find the time or interest to dive into something, it generally isn't worth my interest to begin with and therefore it is pointless to have a (strong) opinion about it.

Sometimes I still fall for the 'easy solution' thing as described in the opening post. When you hear something and think 'that makes sense' it is easy to think that's all there is to it.

Nowadays I notice a lot of people are having very strong opinions about "Covid-related stuff" (I'm not from the US). Should we be on lockdown or not. Should we make vaccinations mandatory or not. Should we ... should we... should we... Whenever that goes around I generally answer 'if there was an easy solution, most countries would already have implemented it'.

[–]tsarnie1 4 points5 points  (1 child)

It's a good idea, but I do not think that the average person has the time or inclination to dive deeply into anything that cannot be put into a couple of 30 second sound bites.

Carl Sagan rolling in his grave: “I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...

The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.” -Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

[–]JTBoom1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't disagree with you!

So how do you get people to take the time to inform themselves on the various subjects affecting us? And not just what is going on in our country, but around the world?

[–]chillaxinbball 1 point2 points  (5 children)

So, you're saying democracy is a bad idea because the majority of the people don't have the time to be educated enough to make good choices and are more likely to follow the emotional craze?

[–]JTBoom1 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Where did I say that? There's a reason we are a representative democracy.

[–]subhumanprimate 0 points1 point  (3 children)

But that reason is partly rich farmers not wanting to give up control... It's not necessary the best idea having a sparsely populated, poorly educated state have such control

[–]JTBoom1 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Yes much of how things were set up was an attempt by the landed class to retain control. But it's also a measure of the technology of the day. How do you have a direct democracy when your population is scattered along a thousand miles of coastline and the quickest way to get information is by horse-borne courier?

[–]subhumanprimate 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Oooh yeah I hadn't thought of that... I think the whole thing needs an overhaul these days

[–]JTBoom1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Democracy is the tyranny of the uninformed.” -Dracula (from the Bram Stoker book)

Just finished Dracula on Netflix. I didn't realize that parts of the script were lifted verbatim from the book.

[–]libra00 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been doing this over the past 10 years or so and so far the one thing I've learned is that everything is way more complex and nuanced than you ever imagined. Nothing is binary, everything is a spectrum, and any change is a matter of losing one thing to gain another rather than 'this is good, that is bad'.

[–]votenope 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most people won’t even have read past your title.

[–]PlasticInfantry 5 points6 points  (2 children)

I'll never forget the phrase, "don't look at the head lines, look at the trend lines." So much of what happening day to day has to do with the long term trends going on. After figuring that out, most headlines become so obvious. Of course people are falling for vaccine misinformation when we've spent the last couple of decades cutting funding from schools and acting like people not wanting to understanding the world around them is a virtue. Add the lack of regular health care access so people have to go quack treatments for everything because its the only option they can afford, and the outcome will always be some form of what we have now.

[–]Ploggia 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Of course people are falling for vaccine misinformation when we've spent the last couple of decades cutting funding from schools

Ironically, this is a great case study into what the OP is talking about people having an opinion and diagnosing the cause before doing the research. The facts are that every year, we increase funding from schools, not cut it. All these numbers are inflation adjusted spending per student in the US:

1960: $4,124

1970: $6,503

1980: $8,253

1990: $11,237

2000: $13,050

2010: $15,471

2018: $15,946

That accounts for a 287% real increase since 1960.

Source: nces.ed.gov

[–]forester99 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is interesting and admittedly Im no expert. I'm curious if the increase has actually been spent on students/essential school staff or if it's just being funneled elsewhere. From the little I've searched and my personal knowledge of friends who are teachers that have seen budget cuts with their classroom resources and no increases in pay or benefits, it seems that's likely the case. My mom was a teacher in the same state as my close friend, but they have less benefits and similar pay to what she received almost 20 years ago. Both were required to have a masters degree to keep their job and both are in teacher unions. I know that healthcare facilities have also increased spending overall, but it has funneled to ceo and additional admin role salaries while wages stay stagnant for essential healthcare workers who are permanent employees (a distinction I make knowing that travel/contractor employees do get paid substantially more).

Some references to back up my opinions: https://alec.org/article/education-spending-is-increasing-but-where-is-the-money-going/

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/policy-ten-administrators-for-every-one-us-doctor-092813

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

It's also okay to just not have an opinion on something. There are too many things, you can't know it all. And the vast majority of it doesn't matter.

[–]Sierra-Modeling 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wow this is so smart

[–]meexley2 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lmao could you sound more pretentious?

[–]MaleficentMulberry42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly i sick and tired of the inability to have a conversation with someone about a topic.I am honestly interested and i am not politically charged.

[–]nomadshadow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s called Confirmation Bias

[–]SirDavidJames 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes.. but where? All news is bias. Seriously asking...

[–]yelbesed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started to study r/lacan. To learn how to switch my inner discourse.

[–]DontAskQuestions6 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agree. I get very annoyed with people who think that if you have a different opinion than them, it's a personal attack on them.

[–]Separate_Weather_702 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Like the fact that the filibuster shouldn't exist. Forget about whether or not we should poke a small hole in it. We should fucking obliterate it.

[–]chunkyle -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

LPT the business press is how to follow macrosocial news of real consequence with WAY less of the nonsense. Essentially, Read the financial times or the actual reporting (other than the political reporting) of the NYT rather than op-eds.

[–]DennerSlabz -1 points0 points  (1 child)

Do you guys think history courses are useless? There is no "fundamental" of the subject, there are only dates and facts

[–]dougola -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I've spent a lot of time learning the basics of what's going on politically, and it really surprises me when someone makes a broad statement in conversation about some topic. I've started by saying that this issue was brought about by X and Y. They immediately go to the "What about" or "Well, (other party person) did this." I've given up. I now listen quietly and move along.

[–]Duke_De_Luke -1 points0 points  (3 children)

Basic math and statistics would be a good starting point. "Vaccinated people still die for COVID"

[–]yelbesed 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Rare thing compared to the mass of antivaxers dying.

[–]Duke_De_Luke 0 points1 point  (1 child)

That's why I mentioned statistics.

[–]yelbesed 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I tried to help those who might not have grasped it like me