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Is Critical Thinking Dead?

Posted By: Randy GageApril 8, 2021

My best friend is part-human, part-machine. Not in a cool way like Colonel Steve Austin in the $6 Million-Dollar Man.  I mean part of his brain is controlled like a bot, kinda’ like when Captain Picard was assimilated by the Borg.   

My friend and his family escaped from an authoritarian regime and now live here in the U.S.  If you chat politics with him, he’s a fierce opponent of government censorship, repression, and control.  Like millions of others, he was enamored by the possibility of an outsider like Donald Trump draining the swamp and bringing government back to the people.  And like many of those others, somewhere along the way he completely lost sight of the principles he believed in and transformed into a QAnon conspiracy theorist.  He never consciously chose to follow the mysterious Q, adopted a manifesto, or officially applied for cult membership.  But the ecosystem he surrounded himself with has slowly, steadily, and decidedly transformed him over the last five years. 

Of course, my friend would vehemently dispute my characterization, because he prides himself on his critical thinking skills and independent thinking.  And truth be told, he does possess a curious intellect and solid thinking skills that he demonstrates well in his successful career.  But my experience of him is that he’s blind to the fact that he cannot access that function of his brain when the discussion turns political. 

If someone sends him a link to an article critical of Trump, he has an immediate whataboutism protocol that kicks in and he fires back an article critical of Biden, Hillary or some other liberal. (If the article is in the New York Times or Washington Post, he’ll immediately disregard it as liberal propaganda. But if the same outlet published something critical of a liberal, it’s accepted as personal testimony from Jesus.)

If you tell him President Biden is doing a great job on the vaccine distribution, he’ll immediately say, “Thanks to President Trump and Operation Warp Speed.”  He is physiologically incapable of recognizing anything less than perfect concerning President Trump and his sycophants, or anything positive about anyone he sees as a foe of Trump.  If you showed my friend video of Trump drowning kittens in front of children, he would instantly defend the great job Trump was doing controlling pet overpopulation. (Most of you assume I’m exaggerating to make a point, but I assure you I’m not.) 

These reactions from my friend and the millions of other QAnon followers are not conscious conclusions formed as a result of receiving information, evaluating it, and forming a response. They’re knee-jerk, almost instinctive responses, as you would expect from a bot. 

Before we go further, it’s important to recognize that there are millions of liberal-leaning Americans who also apply identity labels for themselves and are infected with the equivalent mind viruses.  (I can testify that Trump Derangement Syndrome, or TDS, really is a thing, being a member of a TDS Anonymous 12-step group.)

Another friend is a proud socialist.  He even wears a t-shirt with the slogan, “There is no excuse for billionaires.” He’s definitely in the “Burn It the Fuck Down” caucus.  He also is a beautiful soul (a poet no less), works a job, and plays a mean centerfield.  He’s one of those people who literally would give you the shirt off his back.  But when it comes to politics, like my other friend, his ideology prevents him from critical analysis of his beliefs.  Both of these guys represent millions of people who share their beliefs and are textbook examples of what I’ll label the botification of humanity.  (Apologies for the use of a non-existent term, but what happened with my friend and millions of others requires the construction of a new word.) 

People in this situation are still human of course, but in certain blind spots, they essentially act as robotically as a bot.  Bots don’t evaluate and process information, they simply react to stimuli.  For example, a clever fellow named George Mack created the @nntalebbot Twitter bot.  When someone tweets out a quote from Taleb, the bot retweets it.  (There is a similar one about Naval Ravikant.)

I posit that botification is a revolutionary new development in the Matrix.  Not the Matrix in the movies, but the real one which is occurring in the world today.  This is a cataclysmic development in human behavior, and no one is even talking about it. In America and around the world, there’s an ongoing discussion about online radicalization and the ferocity of the partisan divide, but no one is looking at the dangerous devaluation in people’s ability to think. There are now millions (arguably billions) of people who have farmed out their education, information gathering, and thinking processes to the social media companies and other elements of the datasphere.  The influence of technology is so omnipresent in our society, that in certain situations, it could be argued that they’re more bot than human. 

This new Matrix was formed organically from the interaction of people, surveillance, data collection, artificial intelligence, machine learning, algorithms, and marketing. Here’s how I defined it in my Radical Rebirth book:

The real Matrix is a collection of machines used for surveillance and data-gathering.  (This includes every online search you perform, what you buy, every website you visit, your social media posts, the things you ask your voice assistants, the apps running in the background on your phone, and what you stream for entertainment.) Then this data is exploited to manipulate your habits, moods, identity, beliefs, and behaviors.  The objectives are to make you feel powerless, needy, and helpless – and drive you to take self-destructive actions that reward the managers of the Matrix.

This isn’t a conspiracy theory, because there’s no premeditated conspiracy by anyone here.  This Matrix isn’t a conscious invention by evil parties to enslave you.  It’s the unintentional, collateral result of the mass adoption of the Internet and its related technologies. The Matrix has transformed millions of people from sentient human beings to someone (something) that is essentially a reactionary bot.  Their normal intellect and thinking abilities are effectively disengaged.  (I explored the process on how we adopt labels for ourselves and in essence volunteer for a lobotomy here.)   

Neither side can seemingly process the nuances and discern the difference in reality.  What they can’t seem to understand is that two things can both be true, even if one of them doesn’t pander to their worldview. 

  • It can be true that hundreds of thousands of Americans died unnecessarily of Covid-19 because of Trump’s denial of the reality of the pandemic – and also true that millions more lives will be saved worldwide, because he created the task force that fast-tracked vaccine development. 
  • It can be true that President Biden is a kind, compassionate person who wants to help impoverished migrants – and also true that the policies he’s implementing are making their plight much worse.
  • It can be true that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a partisan political hack – and can also be true that 60 Minutes did a misleading and dishonest segment about him.  
  • It can be true that Governor Andrew Cuomo served as America’s “surrogate President” with his calming, fact-based daily Covid-19 briefings – and also true that he buried embarrassing data, caused thousands of seniors to die with dangerous nursing home policy, and by multiple accounts, is a misogynistic womanizer.

You can only process nuanced thoughts like these above if you:

  • Live your life by a congruent philosophy
  • Follow foundational principles
  • Don’t have an identity that you blindly defend    

In previous posts we discussed the concept of first principles that cannot be broken down or deduced any further. Elon Musk brought a lot of awareness to the concept of first principle thinking and now there seems to be a stampede of people who like to believe they practice such thinking.  What shocks me is how many of them sell that belief to themselves, while they’ve inadvertently constructed a principle-free bubble to live in. 

In the case of my friend, he fled authoritarianism but can’t see the irony of him sending memes and voicing support for voter suppression tactics, systemic repression policies, or overturning a free and fair election.  Intellectually he supports free will and democracy, but when his hero loses a popular vote his partisan bias overrides his ability for higher level thinking.   Likewise, the woke liberals who say they believe in freedom of speech but want to ban controversial speakers from college campuses and cancel anyone who disagrees with them.  Both sides have allowed the bot programming to override the thinking process required to be congruent with principles.  They ascribe certain labels to themselves or fall prey to cultish thinking, so they no longer recognize how wildly inconsistent and incongruent they really are.

Rick Warren wrote a book titled The Purpose Driven Life that sold millions of copies.  If instead, he had chosen to write How to Live Life Without Principles, pretty sure he would have sold billions rather than millions.  Because there is a billions with a ‘B’ number of people who find living by principles difficult, perplexing, and most inconveniently, very inconvenient. 

Neither Trump nor the radical social justice warriors who want to defund the police and open the borders are the real issue here.  Both sides have entrenched their positions and thinking, and now only robotically demonize the other side. As much as my woke friends would like to assign all the blame of demagoguery on Trump, he is simply the latest in a long line of wannabe despots who have plagued democracy for at least 25 centuries.  (Hat tip to Cleon who founded the first #MAGA movement “Make Athens Great Again” and persuaded his fellow Athenians to murder every man in the city of Mytilene.  Aristotle said of Cleon: “He was the first who shouted on the public platform, who used abusive language, and who spoke with his cloak girt around him, while all the others used to speak in proper dress and manner.”)  Trump’s ability to keep his cloak girt around him and his followers mesmerized will primarily be determined by his agility is staying ahead of the prosecutors and creditors.  At some point he will move on to the great Twitter feed in the sky and history will nestle him into a spot somewhere between religious cult leaders like David Koresh, L. Ron Hubbard, and Jim Jones – and the political demagogues such as Joseph Goebbels, George Wallace, and Ma & Pa Ferguson.  

Meanwhile Bernie Sanders, AOC and other extreme leftwing partisans will reap their judgment in the public square as well.  Communism is one of those great ideas that sounds good, looks good, and looks good on paper.  It just doesn’t work in the real world.  Their reduced calorie version they call Democratic Socialism will ultimately reach the same results it’s creating in Venezuela right now.  If you massively penalize the producers, people eventually stop producing or move somewhere else. 

The much more pressing issue is whether the millions of people who have surrendered their critical thinking ability to reactionary bot functions are ever going to take back their minds and become rational humans again. 

What we call society is just a collection of people.  And when you assemble a large collection of people, you can be certain that a vast majority of them are living out knee-jerk reactions based on the mind viruses they are infected with.  I posit that the principal distribution of mind viruses today is occurring on the Internet, mainly upon the social media platforms.  And furthermore, that the most effective, mind-influencing, behavior-changing medium doing that today is memes.  Not memes the mind viruses, but memes, the cute, clever, and compelling slides and short videos being produced to influence a point of view.

This is another situation which requires me to invent another new word.  America and the world have devolved into a memeocracy: a state where power will be held by whoever can best manipulate a simple-minded population through memes.  A memeocracy is not the opposite of a meritocracy, but a perverted offshoot of it.  Instead of advancing based on merit, you advance based on the merits of your ability to employ memes effectively to manipulate simple minded people.  And that’s where we’ll pick up on the next post.  Until then, would love to see your comments below.  Provided of course, they’re actually thoughtful human responses, not automated bot replies.

Peace,

- RG

Previous post: God Has an Affiliate Program

17 comments on “Is Critical Thinking Dead?”

  1. Despite your effort to appear impartial and analyze both sides for what they are, you were not clever enough to disguise your "radical left" mentality. You missed important points and also the biggest point of all. What you call "social justice warriors" don't want justice. They want control. We are under a one-party system, fascist regime right now in process of a hostile take over of the United States. A dumb monkey in a zoo can see that when you break down real stats, facts, and actions instead of buying into CNN fake broadcast. Biden doesn't have one ounce of compassion in him. It's all an act. Give me a break. Respectfully.

    1. Well.... I'll sit on the sidelines to see what comes of your comment to Randy. From what I remember eons ago... Randy is more "libertarian" (small L, not big l ) minded.
      I've tested into the libertarian mindset myself. I can't really argue with your points on control, (in all its flavors of big ego, mind, body, property, etc...). It really makes me sick.
      I certainly have been around long enough to watch Republicans grow government as well as Democrats... We are now historical Rome....

      With Trump... we continued to slide into hell... With the leader? we have now... we don't even need invitations! It's an open abyss and I don't ever see it getting better...
      Trump or no Trump. The common man has been brainwashed enough with grabbing
      the "power" of government to shoot down our adversaries. I am just sober enough to believe... there is no way out. Every great empire usually has it's ending... as will we.

      The hope of the Harry Browne's of the past are long long gone. A famous quote he had... "I want a government small enough to fit inside the Constitution" Well that's never going to happen.
      He and Ron Paul would have on the first day in office got rid of 90 percent of government. But both men knew that our Congress and Senate would never allow that to occur.
      They both brought up good talking points... both equally ignored. So........ onwards to the Abyss comrads!!!!
      ((I'm a bit curious what language we may have to learn in the future))

      1. Really? Only a radical would mention voter suppression which doesn't exist. It's a lie on CNN. There are no people without IDs in the US other than illegals. I'm not a Trumper, I want the constitution to be respected, I want freedom, low taxes and the ability to run a business without the government controlling it. Name it what you want. The notion that every contrary to the criminal power grab of Biden and his cronies make people Trumpers is BS. The guy is not perfect, but the math doesn't lie of what works and what doesn't. A free country with low taxes, legal immigration and keeping jobs in America should not be hard to understand. It doesn't make me a robo-brain-washed ( as Randy calls difference of opinions) for believing in basic principles. It's common sense.

        1. "There are no people without IDs in the US other than illegals" --- If you want people to take you seriously then don't make IDIOTIC comments like this. Again...you have proven RG is correct......Your incorrect comments show that you choose not to think critically. Do better.

    2. You literally just proved the point of the whole article (and not in a good way). Congrats!

  2. Well ... I have to say that meme's are funny.... It's a great outlet for those of us that like sarcasm. Sarcasm is a poor way to teach anything,
    but it's a great pressure relief valve for those of us that have to distance ourselves from the daily reality of life. It's hard to communicate
    with someone that sees whatever you say, do, or these days show in a meme... That "content", may be somewhat real to some extent,
    (otherwise the sarcasm/meme will be lost on everyone but yourself), but they need to step back... and breathe a bit. I'll make up a word for ya...
    I think a lot of people are tired of the "pussification" of the general publicly school trained population these days. Why bother to even teach people to think?

  3. I always like to think I can listen and hear both sides.. but I got to confess I lean more towards the left.. I find it obscene companies and individuals make billions and avoid taxes or paying their fair share. but like I say, try to keep an open mind.. one of my fav movies was from when I was a teen, called Scorpio, with Burt Lancaster as a double agent and his protege. said to my French ex, who was that really handsome French actor, she knew right away, Alain Delon... anyway, great movie in showing the shades of grey for your side and and the ambiguities of life.. cheers David

    1. While you worry about the false conception that big companies don't pay taxes you are giving away our freedom and constitution and voting for a tyrannical one-party system.
      What taxes corporations pay don't change your life, but when your freedoms are taken ( AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW) you will cry and scream and no one will listen. People that keep blaming corporations are whiners who lose focus of much more important principles.

  4. Critical thinking is the product of a severe progressive illness of the mind, caused by an all-consuming thirst for power, money, a passion for irrepressible pleasures.
    Effectively manipulating people is possible provided that the bulk of the simple-minded population is in a state of unenlightened want and poverty, uncertainty for the future, and a struggle for existence.
    In this state, people perceive memes as sweet sedative pills that give hope for a favorable future, if not in this world, then in the heavenly one.
    And in this situation, the Internet is more effective than a whole army of preachers of various religious denominations.
    The question is essentially: what can stop the development of the catastrophe called botification?

  5. Well then. What an exquisite and thought-provoking post. This qualitative discussion on grasping two truths (or many truths) simultaneously, is the essence of critical thinking. The evolution of the complexity of your sharing is refreshing. Thank you, Mad Genius.

  6. Let's assert our rational love for perfecting our love and gratitude for our minds and thought powers!
    Staying conscious is an individual "olympic sport" now. When it's really our birthright. #gratitude!

  7. Randy - a well articulated perspective.
    I am in agreement with (almost) everything you describe.

    Yes, here comes the nit pick. I knee jerk reflex when I read the comment that "No one is is talking about ..."

    The reality is almost never is that statement literally true that "No one is talking about ..." I expect this from writers who are blinded by their own self-importance and make grandiose statements that they are the FIRST PERSON TO DESCRIBE XYZ.

    Randy, sorry to inform you that you are not the first to alert readers to the robotic non-critical thinking of masses of the population. And the effects.

    For someone who is as careful with language as you, please don't join the ranks of those who say nobody but me is this perceptive to bring you the message of XYZ.

    Postioning yourself as the first bringer of XYZ truth slighlty erodes your cerdibility for discerning readers.

    Am I nit picking a vital message? You bet. Of course I am.

    Here is an unasked suggestion from moi: please eliminate the phrase "Nobody is talking about xxxx"
    You are simply too smart for that hackneyed phrase.

    And I am glad your are bringing your thlughtful and bigger message to the great unwashed masses.
    Unfortunately the people most infected with the non-thinking virus won't read your post to the end. And that is too bad for humanity's progress.
    Respectfully submitted
    Pete

    p.s the contentious phrase I refer to is:
    This is a cataclysmic development in human behavior, and no one is even talking about it. In America and around the world, there’s an ongoing discussion about online radicalization and the ferocity of the partisan divide, but no one is looking at the dangerous devaluation in people’s ability to think.

    1. Are you nit-picking a vital message? Yes you are.

      As well you should!

      Great point. What I was trying to convey is that I think the important part of the issue is being obscured by the accepted and frequent debate about the symptoms. And not so much the steep decline in critical thinking, but more specifically, how we are actually being molded by computer algorithms to circumvent parts of our brains and being botified. (Which, by the way, I believe no one is talking about! ) I need to de a better job of articulating this and appreciate you bringing this to light. - RG

  8. The real issue is Collectivism folks, and the only remedy is a free market and the freedom to live our lives free of subjugation. Randy hit the nail on the head in his book Accept Your Abundance. Politically speaking, Congress is a money laundering racket and the worthless currency being created will come back to cause more suffering. So, get your mind set on the path of accepting your abundance and carry on. Peace - Zak Klemmer

  9. "Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."
    -Thomas Jefferson

    Libertarian here surrounded by Big Government Progressives in my day-to-day life, and every day I put my beliefs up to question and come away more confident in my worldview. That being said it's important to realize we're heading into a postmodernist (post-truth) era where Absolute Truths are getting upended and everybody's clinging to their own perceived morals and values while demonizing and canceling others. While it's true I didn't like or vote for Trump, it's also true he was maligned before even taking the oath of office (How do you impeach a President before he's even President?!), and every day until he was voted out. Some of it deservedly so, but some of it was clearly calculated to destroy the man and his time in office any way possible. It's unbelievable how people who despised former President couldn't see this! While I appreciate what you're getting at in this post, it's important to remember what party is driving the "narrative" in our Media, Entertainment, and Culture at large. There simply is nowhere to get objective truth anymore. You play softball, Randy, so is it too much to ask for the cultural umps to call actual balls and strikes for once?!

  10. My critical thinking tells me that from the two options Trump (Republicans) and Biden (Democrats) you should choose the third option. Yes. Yes, the third is the best for America's development, happiness, and prosperity. And not just America. He's very well known to you. Guess for yourself, please.
    In addition, the implementation of this third option is not related to the effect of memes on the human mind. This is due to the truth, obvious things that do not need to be proved along the way distorting the original meaning of objective reality.
    Randy, thank you for the opportunity to improve critical thinking.

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  • 17 comments on “Is Critical Thinking Dead?”

    1. Despite your effort to appear impartial and analyze both sides for what they are, you were not clever enough to disguise your "radical left" mentality. You missed important points and also the biggest point of all. What you call "social justice warriors" don't want justice. They want control. We are under a one-party system, fascist regime right now in process of a hostile take over of the United States. A dumb monkey in a zoo can see that when you break down real stats, facts, and actions instead of buying into CNN fake broadcast. Biden doesn't have one ounce of compassion in him. It's all an act. Give me a break. Respectfully.

      1. Well.... I'll sit on the sidelines to see what comes of your comment to Randy. From what I remember eons ago... Randy is more "libertarian" (small L, not big l ) minded.
        I've tested into the libertarian mindset myself. I can't really argue with your points on control, (in all its flavors of big ego, mind, body, property, etc...). It really makes me sick.
        I certainly have been around long enough to watch Republicans grow government as well as Democrats... We are now historical Rome....

        With Trump... we continued to slide into hell... With the leader? we have now... we don't even need invitations! It's an open abyss and I don't ever see it getting better...
        Trump or no Trump. The common man has been brainwashed enough with grabbing
        the "power" of government to shoot down our adversaries. I am just sober enough to believe... there is no way out. Every great empire usually has it's ending... as will we.

        The hope of the Harry Browne's of the past are long long gone. A famous quote he had... "I want a government small enough to fit inside the Constitution" Well that's never going to happen.
        He and Ron Paul would have on the first day in office got rid of 90 percent of government. But both men knew that our Congress and Senate would never allow that to occur.
        They both brought up good talking points... both equally ignored. So........ onwards to the Abyss comrads!!!!
        ((I'm a bit curious what language we may have to learn in the future))

        1. Really? Only a radical would mention voter suppression which doesn't exist. It's a lie on CNN. There are no people without IDs in the US other than illegals. I'm not a Trumper, I want the constitution to be respected, I want freedom, low taxes and the ability to run a business without the government controlling it. Name it what you want. The notion that every contrary to the criminal power grab of Biden and his cronies make people Trumpers is BS. The guy is not perfect, but the math doesn't lie of what works and what doesn't. A free country with low taxes, legal immigration and keeping jobs in America should not be hard to understand. It doesn't make me a robo-brain-washed ( as Randy calls difference of opinions) for believing in basic principles. It's common sense.

          1. "There are no people without IDs in the US other than illegals" --- If you want people to take you seriously then don't make IDIOTIC comments like this. Again...you have proven RG is correct......Your incorrect comments show that you choose not to think critically. Do better.

      2. You literally just proved the point of the whole article (and not in a good way). Congrats!

    2. Well ... I have to say that meme's are funny.... It's a great outlet for those of us that like sarcasm. Sarcasm is a poor way to teach anything,
      but it's a great pressure relief valve for those of us that have to distance ourselves from the daily reality of life. It's hard to communicate
      with someone that sees whatever you say, do, or these days show in a meme... That "content", may be somewhat real to some extent,
      (otherwise the sarcasm/meme will be lost on everyone but yourself), but they need to step back... and breathe a bit. I'll make up a word for ya...
      I think a lot of people are tired of the "pussification" of the general publicly school trained population these days. Why bother to even teach people to think?

    3. I always like to think I can listen and hear both sides.. but I got to confess I lean more towards the left.. I find it obscene companies and individuals make billions and avoid taxes or paying their fair share. but like I say, try to keep an open mind.. one of my fav movies was from when I was a teen, called Scorpio, with Burt Lancaster as a double agent and his protege. said to my French ex, who was that really handsome French actor, she knew right away, Alain Delon... anyway, great movie in showing the shades of grey for your side and and the ambiguities of life.. cheers David

      1. While you worry about the false conception that big companies don't pay taxes you are giving away our freedom and constitution and voting for a tyrannical one-party system.
        What taxes corporations pay don't change your life, but when your freedoms are taken ( AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW) you will cry and scream and no one will listen. People that keep blaming corporations are whiners who lose focus of much more important principles.

    4. Critical thinking is the product of a severe progressive illness of the mind, caused by an all-consuming thirst for power, money, a passion for irrepressible pleasures.
      Effectively manipulating people is possible provided that the bulk of the simple-minded population is in a state of unenlightened want and poverty, uncertainty for the future, and a struggle for existence.
      In this state, people perceive memes as sweet sedative pills that give hope for a favorable future, if not in this world, then in the heavenly one.
      And in this situation, the Internet is more effective than a whole army of preachers of various religious denominations.
      The question is essentially: what can stop the development of the catastrophe called botification?

    5. Well then. What an exquisite and thought-provoking post. This qualitative discussion on grasping two truths (or many truths) simultaneously, is the essence of critical thinking. The evolution of the complexity of your sharing is refreshing. Thank you, Mad Genius.

    6. Let's assert our rational love for perfecting our love and gratitude for our minds and thought powers!
      Staying conscious is an individual "olympic sport" now. When it's really our birthright. #gratitude!

    7. Randy - a well articulated perspective.
      I am in agreement with (almost) everything you describe.

      Yes, here comes the nit pick. I knee jerk reflex when I read the comment that "No one is is talking about ..."

      The reality is almost never is that statement literally true that "No one is talking about ..." I expect this from writers who are blinded by their own self-importance and make grandiose statements that they are the FIRST PERSON TO DESCRIBE XYZ.

      Randy, sorry to inform you that you are not the first to alert readers to the robotic non-critical thinking of masses of the population. And the effects.

      For someone who is as careful with language as you, please don't join the ranks of those who say nobody but me is this perceptive to bring you the message of XYZ.

      Postioning yourself as the first bringer of XYZ truth slighlty erodes your cerdibility for discerning readers.

      Am I nit picking a vital message? You bet. Of course I am.

      Here is an unasked suggestion from moi: please eliminate the phrase "Nobody is talking about xxxx"
      You are simply too smart for that hackneyed phrase.

      And I am glad your are bringing your thlughtful and bigger message to the great unwashed masses.
      Unfortunately the people most infected with the non-thinking virus won't read your post to the end. And that is too bad for humanity's progress.
      Respectfully submitted
      Pete

      p.s the contentious phrase I refer to is:
      This is a cataclysmic development in human behavior, and no one is even talking about it. In America and around the world, there’s an ongoing discussion about online radicalization and the ferocity of the partisan divide, but no one is looking at the dangerous devaluation in people’s ability to think.

      1. Are you nit-picking a vital message? Yes you are.

        As well you should!

        Great point. What I was trying to convey is that I think the important part of the issue is being obscured by the accepted and frequent debate about the symptoms. And not so much the steep decline in critical thinking, but more specifically, how we are actually being molded by computer algorithms to circumvent parts of our brains and being botified. (Which, by the way, I believe no one is talking about! ) I need to de a better job of articulating this and appreciate you bringing this to light. - RG

    8. The real issue is Collectivism folks, and the only remedy is a free market and the freedom to live our lives free of subjugation. Randy hit the nail on the head in his book Accept Your Abundance. Politically speaking, Congress is a money laundering racket and the worthless currency being created will come back to cause more suffering. So, get your mind set on the path of accepting your abundance and carry on. Peace - Zak Klemmer

    9. "Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."
      -Thomas Jefferson

      Libertarian here surrounded by Big Government Progressives in my day-to-day life, and every day I put my beliefs up to question and come away more confident in my worldview. That being said it's important to realize we're heading into a postmodernist (post-truth) era where Absolute Truths are getting upended and everybody's clinging to their own perceived morals and values while demonizing and canceling others. While it's true I didn't like or vote for Trump, it's also true he was maligned before even taking the oath of office (How do you impeach a President before he's even President?!), and every day until he was voted out. Some of it deservedly so, but some of it was clearly calculated to destroy the man and his time in office any way possible. It's unbelievable how people who despised former President couldn't see this! While I appreciate what you're getting at in this post, it's important to remember what party is driving the "narrative" in our Media, Entertainment, and Culture at large. There simply is nowhere to get objective truth anymore. You play softball, Randy, so is it too much to ask for the cultural umps to call actual balls and strikes for once?!

    10. My critical thinking tells me that from the two options Trump (Republicans) and Biden (Democrats) you should choose the third option. Yes. Yes, the third is the best for America's development, happiness, and prosperity. And not just America. He's very well known to you. Guess for yourself, please.
      In addition, the implementation of this third option is not related to the effect of memes on the human mind. This is due to the truth, obvious things that do not need to be proved along the way distorting the original meaning of objective reality.
      Randy, thank you for the opportunity to improve critical thinking.

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