I don’t trust people to do this anymore. A lot of people, across just about every segment of the population, are blisteringly stupid and can’t actually form critical thought.

I get in an argument almost every week because someone, either in real life or online, can’t tell what “better” or “worse” mean. This is a rising effect that emerges from large-scale cognitive decline, a black-and-white system of analysis of the world. So if I say to someone “This tie-down system is more safe than the tie-downs you’re using” I fully expect now for someone to say “My system isn’t dangerous, why are you saying it’s dangerous?” instead of understanding that there are risk levels that scale and I’m not talking absolutes. I never had interactions like this before and I have to now carefully tip-toe around every professional conversation because nuance is dead.

This is one tiny sliver of an example, but it’s widespread. People largely are having a very, very hard time figuring out anything on their own. Even basic shit like values and ethics… had a friend suddenly convert to evangelical christianity out of fucking nowhere because he had a crisis because he couldn’t figure out if he was “good” or not and now just preaches gospel every interaction and admits it makes it easier because he “doesn’t have to think about it” and just knows he’s “saved.”

A bigger example: the entire covid 19 thing.