[ExI] Study Links Disparities in Pain Management to Racial Bias

[Samantha Atkins]

On 04/06/2016 02:52 PM, William Flynn Wallace wrote:
>
>     Studies have shown many times that just presenting people with facts
>     will rarely cause them to change previously held beliefs. It might
>     even strengthen the wrong belief. It's called the Backfire effect.
>
>     There are several factors involved. People don't like to be told that
>     they are wrong as they 'lose face' and don't want lower status. When a
>     belief is wrong, people need help to build a new story in their brain
>     to store the new facts.
>

Why do they "need help"?  Perhaps it is "good old days" fallacy but it
seems to me that people have more fragile egos now than they used to. 
Actually it is not that the egos seem more fragile but there is more
belief that ego fragility is to be coddled instead of telling the person
to embrace the rational approach and get over their mere feelings enough
to admit the new evidence.    It used to be more the norm that bringing
up feelings in an intellectual conversation was frowned upon.   

Is it just me or as the world changed where we want to be real careful
not to upset anyone's pre-existing prejudice?

Extropians in particular held to pancritical rationalism - question
everything and take no feeling prisoners.

People may need a "new story" but it is not up to anyone else to weave
one for them.  That is their own job.   I have had the experience of
trying to do the weaving for another person.  Then they get really upset
because they fill like you are "trying to cram it down their throats" or
seeking to reach in and reprogram their brain. 

You can lead a horse to water..


- samantha
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