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Anti-Intellectualism in America

7/13/2020

 

Why Some People Don't Listen to the Experts

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When I was a young child, I heard some people say to me, "You're too smart for your own good."

I believe there has always been a sentiment of anti-intellectualism in America.  This means that a person who studies, reads, learns, and goes to school for many years is sometimes labeled as an "egghead," "nerd" or "wierdo."

There is an association of highly trained and educated people as being out of touch with reality, or somehow seeing themselves as superior to others.  This is intellectual snobbism.

Many bright, creative, educated people are as far from that as possible.  They are dedicated citizens who want to use their knowledge to help society grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally, and maintain good mental and physical health.

Experts write the books, create the videos and maintain a presence in the public eye.  Some supposed "experts" are phonies and don't know what they are talking about.  However, most of them have something of extreme value to share with others.

Some anti-intellectualism comes from resentment of experts for the power they have.  Other people are envious because they don't believe they have the brain-power to study, read, and explore in depth certain areas.

The experts who have studied COVID-19 have worked long and hard to understand their field.  If they tell people to wear masks in public and keep a social distance of at least six feet, they are not doing this to inconvenience people.  They are trying to protect all of us from becoming ill and dying.  It is for social interest, for the good of society as a whole.

As some Americans refuse to listen the expert epidemiologists, we see death rates from the virus rise.  More and more people are infected.  So far, in America, over 135,000 people have died from the Corona Virus.  More than 3 million people in America have been infected by the virus.

I believe the anti-intellectual bias in America is due to the mistaken belief that freedom means one can do whatever he or she wants.  Immediate gratification becomes an addiction.   Some additional beliefs:  Nobody is going to tell me what to do.  The experts are pompous idiots who don't know what they are talking about. 

As we have re-opened stores, restaurants, and businesses, and are planning to re-open schools, the death rate will probably rise higher.  The intellectual experts have warned us about this.  It is challenging and also sad to watch some people ignore their suggestions, keep this pandemic killing more people and continuing longer.

Peace and blessings,

Mike Obsatz
1 Comment
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Grif
1/16/2022 07:11:32 pm

Professor Obsatz, - You probably wouldn't remember me, and so I won't tell you much about myself - just call me by my nickname Griff. I know a lot about you because I knew a lot of students who were in your classes.
- Do you honestly think these "experts" are neutral and objective? You trust big government now? I remember you as an advocate for not trusting big government or big corporations, and now you're trusting the two of them together? When did you become so accepting?
- I agree that the experts you cite aren't trying to do something as simple as "inconvenience" people. Has it entered your mind that they might be doing it for .o.t.h.e.r reasons - like controlling people? like expanding their own power? like expanding the reach of the very agencies which liberals control? like trying to minimize the influence of their political opponents? 
- You wrote, "They are trying to protect all of us from becoming ill and dying. It is for social interest, for the good of society as a whole." If this was the case, then why don't they acknowledge the physiological, emotional, and developmental harm that masking is doing to children under age 10? Young children thrive on face-to-face contact and facial recognition (for emotional development) and even lip/mouth movement (to learn proper pronunciation); kids also are very active which means they need lots of oxygen, which is hampered for kids wearing masks.
- Have you noticed how the classic liberal position of advocating for freedom has become a lot of liberals advocating for control?
- Your trust in the "experts" is surprising. What happened to the skeptic professor I heard about? The lockstep mindset of my liberal friends who b.e.l.i.e.v.e the dominant media, the government, & big corporations is astonishing.
- So will you consider my remarks "anti-intellectual"? - just because I am astonished at what you wrote? I have a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree from the U of Minnesota. Both of us are bright. But your willingness to grant only good intentions to these bureaucrats is naive. This is especially true given the similarities between the big-corporation/big-government cooperation of our day and the same coalition cooperation present in 1930's Germany. 
- What happened to the professor who questioned authority and advocated such questioning? What happened to the teacher who taught his students to think?

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