How much ignorance is too much to fight?

[Karyn]

@Kozmik

Are you referring to the letters to the editor section? This has been noted in a recent thread. All too* common*.

No, they use Topix as an online comment section. It was originally just linked to specific articles but now people can start threads too. On a scale of 1 to 10 it’s a 2 in terms of software functionality and a 1 in terms of content. All it’s good for is the occasional brawl on a local issue. Letters to the Editor still reflect the sentiments of the general population more closely.

[Kolga]

@billfish678

When push comes to shove, I’d bet most people here would even say the straightdope, scary as that may be.

And thats just the SDMBers that are STILL here posting. How many people who really knew their shit about subject XYZ gave up the ghost and left long ago?

I’m sorry, could you clarify this statement? I’m not positive of your meaning.

[Skywatcher]

Those who believe that the planes seen impacting the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon were actually CGI and/or holograms. This particular fool was all over the 9/11-related boards on the IMDb for a while; I know of at least two others over there, one of whom apparently buys into every single conspiracy theory under the sun no matter how ridiculous.

[eleanorigby]

@Zeldar

Surely there must already be terms to describe these people:

– aggressive ignorance
– lacklearners
– imperviates
– predecided
– chimeheads
– duller-than-thou

For me, determined ignorance=stupidity. I have little patience with those who will not open their minds to learn more. I am not saying my way is the right way–there is room for disagreement on method as well as goal. I just can’t stand people who are proud of not even trying to think critically. These people are everywhere and some of them have gone to college (that is no longer any safe harbor against the entrenched ignorance that surrounds us these tricky days).

[billfish678]

@Kolga

I’m sorry, could you clarify this statement? I’m not positive of your meaning.

See?

Even a simple couple sentence statement HERE needs clarification !

[Marley23]

I actually also found your meaning unclear, billfish678.

[Kolga]

@billfish678

See?

Even a simple couple sentence statement HERE needs clarification !

Ah, thanks. I get your meaning now.

[LavenderBlue]

@Kolga

Do you mean how much is too much to overcome, or how much is too much to even begin the fight?

For example, I find myself completely incapable of NOT harping on the “vaccines do not cause autism” and “psychiatrists are not drugging our children into submission” ignorances, even though I cannot think of a single time I’ve been able to make a dent in someone’s opinion to the contrary. Those would be examples of ignorance that is too much to overcome but that I still attempt to fight.

The vaccine stuff is some of the worst of it. There’s an online forum at Mothering magazine just filled with pages of terrible craziness. These are the sort of people who downplay whooping cough in little tiny babies.

The anti-vaxxers are particularly bad because their ignorance is not only dangerous but contagious.

[Vox_Imperatoris]

I think the people on Yahoo! Answers are much stupider than the ones on /b/. 4chan is revolting on purpose. The Y!A people can’t help it.

Valete,
Vox Imperatoris

[SiXSwordS]

@billfish678

Even a simple couple sentence statement HERE needs clarification !

It is often conducive to clarity if you render your sentences separately rather than running them together.

I WILL say that the ALL CAPS bit is quite helpful though.