...there are way fewer crazy people in the world !!

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"I am now challenged with learning, how does this happen? How can someone so bright believe in something so completely illogical?" 

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When I began this blogging thing several weeks ago, I suppose it was yet another opportunity to simply listen to myself talk. To provide a venue for me to rant or more accurately, enjoy the luxury of taking very complex issues and applying an oversimplified view of them. I have been chastised on several occasions for doing exactly that – oversimplifying, but in my defence... to get right down to the finer points on every topic would be a full time job slaving away at my keyboard. HOWEVER, I was very excited to have a chat with a loyal reader, and she could see clearly what I was trying to achieve.  A catalyst for thought, teeing up the topic (so to speak), so my readers can on their own take the simplistic analysis I have provided and apply more complex scenarios to them. I have done this exercise, and I am pleased to have the simple framework of ideas stand up quite nicely when applied to more complex scenarios.

OK enough navel gazing.

Much better than expected, I have grown to have a good number of readers, and even better still, have been approached in person more than once, to hear first hand, a reaction to my posts. Although I confess, I have lived under the assumption that I am too old and stuck in my opinion to fundamentally change my thoughts on people. I am quick to judge (good or bad), and am very sceptical of those impassioned with their own special interest beliefs.

Fanatics on any issue, I painted with a broad brush, I firmly believed that those among us that blindly hang onto groundless, hypocritical, non-factual beliefs were obviously intellectually challenged, lacking the ability to see that these commitments to a cause and socially inept.

I was wrong, very wrong. My blogs have become a point of debate (in person) several times over the last weeks. Nothing gets the blood pumping like a good debate, but I was learning, and listening more than usual. Blind faith in a topic is an amazing thing to observe. Hearing the passion and unwavering commitment to a topic, regardless if the fact supports it, is an incredible human observation.

In a back and forth conversation with a very well education professional person several days ago in regards to Hydro Fracking, with absolute conviction in their words, they compared the people involved in this gas exploration to Nazis, and more specifically Hitler. I was slack jawed of course, but it was life changing fore to me to hear such insane comments from an otherwise brilliant person.

I have observed this intense loyalty to issues in conversation with other “normal” people and paid less attention to the content of their discussion, and focused on the phenomenon of blind belief.

How does an educated, worldly, responsible adult, get brainwashed or find logic defying thoughts so permanently and deeply engrained in their grey matter? I am stumped. It was easier to read these fanatics, and hear the propaganda when I assumed the originators to all of these were weak minded gullible orators. I am now challenged with learning, how does this happen? How can someone so bright believe in something so completely illogical?

Now life is much harder, knowing now that there are way fewer crazy people in the world.