But the mainstream left has a naive world view: "People are good, but passively ignorant. A few Bad People are hiding the Truth. If we point out the Bad People and reveal the Truth, the good people will Wake Up. Then we will be able to Change the System from within, to make a Better World for Everyone."
My view is more like this: People are well-intentioned but Actively Ignorant. We are masters of believing whatever makes our lives feel Meaningful, and then finding evidence to support it. If you threaten the stories that make people's lives feel Meaningful, they will kill you. But if you reinforce these stories, they will reward you, even if you exploit them. This leads to giant systems that feed on Active Ignorance, the way a fire feeds on dry sticks. Like a forest fire, the present system is fundamentally destructive and unstoppable. The best we can do is to channel the destruction so that people who are Paying Attention will have a good chance to survive.posted at www.ranprieur.com by Ran Prieur, March 25, 2011
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My view is more like this: People are self-absorbed and willfully ignorant. They are masters of ignoring whatever makes their lives uncomfortable or requires them to change, and then finding rationales to support that stance. If you threaten the status quo that makes people's lives feel safe and comfortable, they will want you to be stopped by any means. But if you reinforce the status quo, they will reward you, even if you exploit them. This has lead to the giant systems that feed on selfishness. The present system is fundamentally destructive and unstoppable. When the systems collapse, those who are paying attention will have a chance to survive.
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