Originally Posted by
jfsully
Honestly, I think it’s because things are so polarized right now. From each other’s perspective, it seems like the only two camps are “destructive panic” and “stubborn denial.”
I’d like to think that most of us are not really entirely in either camp. To say that lockdowns are destructive and come with great costs is NOT the same as saying that covid is a hoax. But lots of people hear it that way. Conversely, saying that masks and distancing probably do slow the spread of a virus is NOT the same as saying we must do everything possible to contain the virus no matter the cost. But people hear it that way. I’d like to be a contrarian and needle both sides equally, but the conversation here is fairly one-sided. So I get lumped in with the other side.
Honestly, I think this whole problem comes about because we are innately bad at assessing risk. Our brains are not designed to instinctively solve problems like this. Rip’s friend Taleb has made a living off this fact. So we respond to the extreme cartoon version of the risk, which is easier to react to: it’s the Death Plague vs. it’s Really Nothing. Once these two reactions got lined up with the two major political factions in this country, the possibility of having a thoughtful dialog or a strictly science-based (both microbiology and economics) response to it pretty much went out the window.
I know better than to try to change anyone’s mind. So I’ll stick to doing my part to steer the argument back toward the few facts that we have, when it seems needed. It’s one way I think I can be helpful. Getting on a soapbox to litigate the lockdown or election or whatever isn’t needed at this point. We have enough soapboxes already going around here. Mine isn’t any better.