The foolish mistake maker is someone that processes information badly. Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler in Nudge call these people the Homers. It was decidedly more interesting to study people that do foolish, self-destructive, and irrational things than to show that people are sensible and most often do decent and good things. Therefore, it has become popular to characterize the thoughts and actions of regular people as "stupid, biased and counterproductive" (Finkel, 2010). By concentrating and exposing the dumb things people do, it leads to publication and career advancement. That is why all the research and studies are designed to show people as "fools, suckers, and hypocrites" (2010).
Another trick of the trade is to show people as lazy and always taking the easiest path without thought or reflection. It isn't that this is always the case but studies are set up to search out and prove a particular point that has been set forth by the researcher.
Polls are also designed by highly educated people that know how to ask the questions to get the answers that they want. We live in a highly sophisticated world of experts that know exactly how to lead the audience to behave like Homers and be manipulated in the direction the choice architects want. It is everywhere. It is done everyday. And in order to not be taken in, it is necessary to think and pay attention. If we did that...then who would be the foolish mistake maker...us or them?
No comments:
Post a Comment