A scientific explanation for ufological ignorance

Copyright 2017, InterAmerica, Inc.

The current New Yorker [2/27/2017], pictured here, has an article by Elizabeth Kolbert, That’s What You Think, Page 66 ff.

The piece elucidates “Why reason and evidence won’t change our minds.”

Reporter Kolbert provides a number of experiments (psychological and otherwise) that show (confirm) why reasonable-seeming people are often totally irrational.

The “confirmation bias” is cited: “the tendency people have to embrace information that supports their beliefs and reject information that contradicts them.” [Page 68]

Kolbert writes, “If reason is designed to generate sound judgments, then it’s hard to conceive of a more serious design flaw than confirmation bias.” [ibid]

The main argument expressed by Ms. Kolbert, with books referenced to support the argument, is that humans have evolved to scrap reason in deference to this:

“Reason developed not to enable us to solve abstract, logical problems or even to help us draw conclusions from unfamiliar data; rather it developed to resolve the problems posed by living in collaborative groups.” [ibid]

“People believe that they know way more than they actually do. What allows us to persist in [a] belief is other people.” [Page 70]

“As a rule, strong feelings about issues do not emerge from deep understanding.” [ibid]

A book authored by Jack and Sara Gorman offers this Kolbert writes:

“[The Gormans] cite research suggesting that people experience genuine pleasure – a rush of dopamine – when processing information that supports their beliefs. ‘It feels good to stick to our guns even if we are wrong’” [Page 71]

“Providing people with accurate information doesn’t seem to help; they simply discount it.” [ibid]

I provide this watered down account to support my view, and that of some of you, which offers an understanding of why and how some UFO ETH proponents operate and think (or don’t, as the case may be).

You can find the article online I think.

I excised the political slant and the detailed examples about various aspects of society that make the point(s) Ms.Kolbert suggests to get to my point:

That UFO buffs and hard-core ufologists are rejuvenated by like-minded peers and has been detrimental to UFO research.

It also goes to the heart of the discussion here about Kevin Randle’s plight with non-thinkers and Roswell habitués.

The UFO topic is cluttered with ignorance and non-think; we all know that.

Ms. Kolbert’s astute New Yorker piece provides why that is so,

RR