There is a book called “On Being Certain”, by Robert A Burton who’s a neurologist, discussing how we know what we know. He postulates that the sense of “conviction” has less to do with objective reality and far more to do with “a feeling of knowing.” He also suggests that we are far less self-aware than we think we are.
People see a different viewpoint and their body reactively brings up all the conditioning received from popular advice. Instinctively, they hit the downvote button, thinking that they are rightfully decreasing the noise of a dangerous idea and protecting the less aware.
Most people aren’t interested in debate nor challenging the reality they find themselves in, or even the framing and interpretation of that reality.
Is lemmy supposed to be better then other social media?
How do we make lemmy a more thoughtful place? Or how do we create meaningful spaces on lemmy for thoughtful discussion of opposing views?
I don’t know, but I think I was somehow born without that “feeling of knowing.” I doubt myself constantly. When I speak confidently, I feel like I’m bullshitting, because I don’t have all the data, so I might be getting it wrong.
Living life with imposter syndrome?
It’s kind of a fun application of the Dunning Kruger effect, the more thoughtful and educated someone is the less confident become - so on social media you get totally drowned out by the confident hot takes.
I remember teaching classes in grad school and having to tease ANY opinion out of graduate students who were afraid of being wrong! hahahaha.