“Evil comes from a failure to think. It defies thought for as soon as thought tries to engage itself with evil and examine the premises and principles from which it originates, it is frustrated because it finds nothing there. That is the banality of evil.”
Common sense is either identical to or hand-in-hand with critical thinking. Both is short supply, as the past 3 years have proven.
I’m a glass half empty gal, as a survival mechanism for issues great & small: if I expect the worst, I can mentally prepare for it, I will not be surprised by it. If I expect the worst & it doesn’t happen, that’s a pleasant surprise, cause for celebration or at least relief. Win-win!
Long ago I heard the term "Conspiracy Theorist" was coined by the CIA. As I see it, a Conspiracy Theorist would be a profession. When what we are really observing are theories put forward where there is some evidence but not yet provable. That lack of proof may be because the author has not found enough supporting information or that elements of government, corporations, or snake oil salespeople are obfuscating the real data. Was Pythagoras the original conspiracy theorist with his Theorem? Or, was he putting forth a theory he could not yet prove?
In my distant past as a college student I was required to take a class in deductive logic. We learned all about logical fallacies and how to recognize them. But, I realized some of the students were studying them so that they could use them to convince the unwary. I believe many of those people went on to spectacular careers in politics, business, and advertising.
I think this is a great essay and it raises some really important points. Arendt's work on 'thinking' is very rich and diverse. Her work within the phenomenological tradition allows for thinking to come from worldly experience as well as logic. It is true to say that Eichmann was able to do what he did because he didn't think. After reading Arendt more seriously, I concluded that he made the choice not to think so that he could do what he was 'tasked' to do. Lots of food for thought here, thank you.
By far the toughest part of the Nonsense was the feeling that my wife and I were the only sane people afloat in an ocean of nincompoopery. Certainly, the culture war this nightmare was embedded within is far from over... but I am still immensely grateful that the illusion of our being 'lone cranks' has been comprehensively dispelled. We were never alone... we just weren't allowed to hear from anyone sane.
It's interesting how many highly educated people fell for the hysterical narrative hook, line and sinker. I think it might be because they are often the sort of people who feel slightly uncomfortable around humanity, especially the working class type of humanity. I know this sounds a bit rude but it's what I think. Often financially well-off, living in spacious accommodation, working and socialising with people of similar status, these people don't have much to do with the rest of humanity, even though they are often the ones who set the narrative due to the type of work they do. Consequently, they are susceptible to the idea of a contagious plague being sneezed on them by the plumber or the delivery boy. That knocks any critical thinking ability out the way. It's the same with the baby boomer generation who have thrown their grandkids under the bus in the hope of extending their own lives. They have mostly had lives that previous generations couldn't begin to imagine and future generations will look back at with amazement and they don't want them to end.
Common sense is either identical to or hand-in-hand with critical thinking. Both is short supply, as the past 3 years have proven.
I’m a glass half empty gal, as a survival mechanism for issues great & small: if I expect the worst, I can mentally prepare for it, I will not be surprised by it. If I expect the worst & it doesn’t happen, that’s a pleasant surprise, cause for celebration or at least relief. Win-win!
Long ago I heard the term "Conspiracy Theorist" was coined by the CIA. As I see it, a Conspiracy Theorist would be a profession. When what we are really observing are theories put forward where there is some evidence but not yet provable. That lack of proof may be because the author has not found enough supporting information or that elements of government, corporations, or snake oil salespeople are obfuscating the real data. Was Pythagoras the original conspiracy theorist with his Theorem? Or, was he putting forth a theory he could not yet prove?
In my distant past as a college student I was required to take a class in deductive logic. We learned all about logical fallacies and how to recognize them. But, I realized some of the students were studying them so that they could use them to convince the unwary. I believe many of those people went on to spectacular careers in politics, business, and advertising.
I think this is a great essay and it raises some really important points. Arendt's work on 'thinking' is very rich and diverse. Her work within the phenomenological tradition allows for thinking to come from worldly experience as well as logic. It is true to say that Eichmann was able to do what he did because he didn't think. After reading Arendt more seriously, I concluded that he made the choice not to think so that he could do what he was 'tasked' to do. Lots of food for thought here, thank you.
By far the toughest part of the Nonsense was the feeling that my wife and I were the only sane people afloat in an ocean of nincompoopery. Certainly, the culture war this nightmare was embedded within is far from over... but I am still immensely grateful that the illusion of our being 'lone cranks' has been comprehensively dispelled. We were never alone... we just weren't allowed to hear from anyone sane.
We need everything you mention - but we also need influence. We have handed the reins of political power to midwits. We must take them back: https://www.hughwillbourn.com/post/36-a-decent-democracy
It's interesting how many highly educated people fell for the hysterical narrative hook, line and sinker. I think it might be because they are often the sort of people who feel slightly uncomfortable around humanity, especially the working class type of humanity. I know this sounds a bit rude but it's what I think. Often financially well-off, living in spacious accommodation, working and socialising with people of similar status, these people don't have much to do with the rest of humanity, even though they are often the ones who set the narrative due to the type of work they do. Consequently, they are susceptible to the idea of a contagious plague being sneezed on them by the plumber or the delivery boy. That knocks any critical thinking ability out the way. It's the same with the baby boomer generation who have thrown their grandkids under the bus in the hope of extending their own lives. They have mostly had lives that previous generations couldn't begin to imagine and future generations will look back at with amazement and they don't want them to end.
I am of the view they continue with the scaremongering because they get away with it. Never help accountable for their actions.
I will take a real hardline decision to take on these fiends and put a stop to it.
Not sure if the weak minded have the stomach to handle it?
Start with those in the UN and WEF, maybe a Royal Monarchy Character or ten, Politicians especially Progressive ones and a lot of guillotines.