I agree that the internet and social media can act as a catalyst to celebrate confirmation bias.
But I also think we have to be mindful beyond just confirmation bias and include conformity bias and halo effect.
In fact, you could probably add another 5-10 common human biases to the list, but Zipf’s Law would help narrow down which ones to focus on.
My personal feeling as an observer of human behaviour and the parent of teens is that we need to specifically educate ourselves with an emphasis on common biases.
Not sure how much these terms mean nowadays, and you could even say that the left/right positioning game is identity politics in itself. Maybe it's more interesting to consider whether the ideas have merit.
IMHO ideology is a mental shortcut where you blanket apply fixed rules instead of thinking through the specifics of the situation.
People love the various popular ideologies because said ideologies are simple and easier to understand - people want easy answers. Unfortunately the world isn’t simple.
In the words of H. L. Mencken,
“Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.”
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This article reads like a single sound bite.
I agree that the internet and social media can act as a catalyst to celebrate confirmation bias.
But I also think we have to be mindful beyond just confirmation bias and include conformity bias and halo effect.
In fact, you could probably add another 5-10 common human biases to the list, but Zipf’s Law would help narrow down which ones to focus on.
My personal feeling as an observer of human behaviour and the parent of teens is that we need to specifically educate ourselves with an emphasis on common biases.
Bias innoculation thru education perhaps?
In short, he criticizes identity politics and confirmation bias that may lead to fascism.
Does this sound like he's leaning left or right?
Not sure how much these terms mean nowadays, and you could even say that the left/right positioning game is identity politics in itself. Maybe it's more interesting to consider whether the ideas have merit.
Does it matter which way he 'leans'? (Hint: no, it doesn't)
Don’t think he leans any direction.
IMHO ideology is a mental shortcut where you blanket apply fixed rules instead of thinking through the specifics of the situation.
People love the various popular ideologies because said ideologies are simple and easier to understand - people want easy answers. Unfortunately the world isn’t simple.
In the words of H. L. Mencken,
“Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.”
Sounds centrist, unlike virtually all those in politics.