Apparently, people who jump to conclusions are more likely to buy into conspiracy theories. These people, nicknamed “jumpers”, have been observed by various researchers to make more frequent errors in judgment; some of these include overconfidence, being easily lured into making inferior bets, and believing in medical myths. Scientists speculate that this may be because jumpers don’t engage in conscious, effortful, and analytic reasoning (system 2 reasoning) as often as non-jumpers do. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
