Does Your Social or Political Bias Override Your Reasoning Ability?

[Opcode]

Veritasium published a video that suggests that "the smarter you are, the more likely you are to get a certain class of questions wrong." It talks about a study that demonstrates that when people have a strong ideological position, their ideology overrides their reasoning ability. More interestingly, the more mathematically skilled someone is in reasoning, the more likely their strongly held ideological positions are to override their reasoning ability. The video is available on multiple platforms:

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The Smarter You Are, The More Likely You Are To Get This Question Wrong!

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[Orphia Nay]

I liked this comment on the video.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

It's not a question of Priors, it's whether you can update them given new evidence.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

To answer the title question, only if you're a reich winger.

 

[Susheel]

No...No, it doesn't. I am not too sure about you though.

 

[Puppycow]

To answer the title question, only if you're a reich winger.

Oh, I've seen it plenty of times from all sorts of political persuasions, including the left wing.

 

[Helen]

I would think our biases have a tendency to do so for most of us, but if you are aware of what your biases are, you are less likely to let then run roughshod over you. Thr people who scare me are the ones who think they are completely rational.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

What's the point of even trying to optimize rational thought unless you are doing science?

Almost always, the problem and a way to make things better are glaringly obvious, and attempts at rationalizing are usually attempts at avoiding actually doing anything about it.

When children are hungry you don't need to invoke economic and political theory to know what the right thing to do is.

 

[Darat]

What's the point of even trying to optimize rational thought unless you are doing science?

Almost always, the problem and a way to make things better are glaringly obvious, and attempts at rationalizing are usually attempts at avoiding actually doing anything about it.

When children are hungry you don't need to invoke economic and political theory to know what the right thing to do is.

It's like how people seem to think poverty is a hard problem to solve - there is of course a very simple solution.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

It's like how people seem to think poverty is a hard problem to solve - there is of course a very simple solution.

The poor should get off their asses and work harder?

 

[novaphile]

I would think our biases have a tendency to do so for most of us, but if you are aware of what your biases are, you are less likely to let then run roughshod over you. Thr people who scare me are the ones who think they are completely rational.

Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

 

[Opcode]

It's like how people seem to think poverty is a hard problem to solve - there is of course a very simple solution.

All societies ever since societies first existed have had impoverished people. If the solution were simple, at least one of them should have solved it, I would think. So, what is this simple solution?

 

[Darat]

All societies ever since societies first existed have had impoverished people. If the solution were simple, at least one of them should have solved it, I would think. So, what is this simple solution?

You give those in poverty money.

 

[AmyStrange]

Veritasium published a video that suggests that "the smarter you are, the more likely you are to get a certain class of questions wrong." It talks about a study that demonstrates that when people have a strong ideological position, their ideology overrides their reasoning ability. More interestingly, the more mathematically skilled someone is in reasoning, the more likely their strongly held ideological positions are to override their reasoning ability.

Yup, and that's what the fat clown and his maga weirdoes prove every time they open their damn mouths and make blanket statements or try to use opinions as if they're facts.

Shame on them and thank you for your attention to this matter,
the fat clown

 

[Helen]

All societies ever since societies first existed have had impoverished people. If the solution were simple, at least one of them should have solved it, I would think. So, what is this simple solution?

A sweeping statement, and even if it were true, that does not necessarily mean that it has continue to be so. There are an awful lot of things that have in the past been true of (most) societies, which we have changed, because our views have changed. Most of us would not defend slavery, or rape, for instance.

 

[arthwollipot]

And as Darat said, poverty is actually very, very easy to fix. For some reason nobody wants to.

 

[8enotto]

You give those in poverty money.

Giving addicts, mentally ill and willful social outcasts money will not bring them back into society.
Others in bad situations would bring better results.
Give them opportunity to step up in a meaningful way.
I believe most would knowing they have limited time to use available programs. Education is an important element in recovering from poverty.

Others will just abuse windfall as much as possible.

 

[arthwollipot]

Others will just abuse windfall as much as possible.

If a hundred people bludge off welfare but a single child does not starve to death, I'm more than willing to pay that price.

 

[Trausti]

You give those in poverty money.

I'm in poverty. Hand it over.

 

[Orphia Nay]

I'm in poverty. Hand it over.

Playing to your biases as per the OP?