“Religion and political identity were the languages of love in my house.”
I think this is an important thing to remember. People stay in their bubbles because bubbles are nice, and pleasant. Challenging cherished beliefs? That hurts. I think this is a well-enough documented concept on this site that I don’t need to link to sources.
I definitely spend time in my own echo chambers, but I’ve left several bubbles behind. Now that I’m on the outside looking in, it’s easy to get frustrated with people who cling to comfort. It’s easy to forget how good it feels to feel right. We get fuzzy feelings and real social benefits from being around people who agree with us. Frustration with them can lead to treating them unkindly, or being abrasive when we present our own reasoning. It’s also well-documented that when approached explicitly with a hostile viewpoint, people buckle down on their original position even harder, evidence be damned.
I can’t for the life of me find it, but there was an interesting article (pamphlet?) that talked about changing minds, using climate change as an example. People responded best (if I recall correctly) to articles that didn’t immediately present a list of for/against arguments. They simply laid out the facts in a cheerful, non-aggressive tone, with references to “common misconceptions” sprinkled throughout. I wish I could find the article.
I like that you don’t ignore the social benefit of these bubbles, especially in your last line. Fuzzy feelings are important for animals like us, and all the better if you can get that affirmation from trusted sources. At the very least, you can seek out people who have done the best they can to be unbiased. People who want to believe in truth, and then, because it feels so good, agree with each other about it. ;)
“Religion and political identity were the languages of love in my house.”
I think this is an important thing to remember. People stay in their bubbles because bubbles are nice, and pleasant. Challenging cherished beliefs? That hurts. I think this is a well-enough documented concept on this site that I don’t need to link to sources.
I definitely spend time in my own echo chambers, but I’ve left several bubbles behind. Now that I’m on the outside looking in, it’s easy to get frustrated with people who cling to comfort. It’s easy to forget how good it feels to feel right. We get fuzzy feelings and real social benefits from being around people who agree with us. Frustration with them can lead to treating them unkindly, or being abrasive when we present our own reasoning. It’s also well-documented that when approached explicitly with a hostile viewpoint, people buckle down on their original position even harder, evidence be damned.
I can’t for the life of me find it, but there was an interesting article (pamphlet?) that talked about changing minds, using climate change as an example. People responded best (if I recall correctly) to articles that didn’t immediately present a list of for/against arguments. They simply laid out the facts in a cheerful, non-aggressive tone, with references to “common misconceptions” sprinkled throughout. I wish I could find the article.
I like that you don’t ignore the social benefit of these bubbles, especially in your last line. Fuzzy feelings are important for animals like us, and all the better if you can get that affirmation from trusted sources. At the very least, you can seek out people who have done the best they can to be unbiased. People who want to believe in truth, and then, because it feels so good, agree with each other about it. ;)