When reading chapter 4, "UFO Cults and Us", I was not completely surprised when I read that most people subconsciously ignore any logical evidence that prove your ideas are wrong. I think most people feel ashamed to admit that they are wrong, especially when it comes to beliefs they feel hit close to home. Unfortunately, this makes people less educated and less informed. I thought it was ironic that they said that people tend to jump to conclusions and are irrational when it comes to emotional situations. For example, they say in this chapter that people hear about one flight that crashed and forgot about the 10 million flights that land safely every day. People go into a frenzy when something bad happens, however they forget the good things that happen every day. In the chapter, they also mention that tendency people have to hear too much hype about one particular crime incident, and then feel completely unsafe all the time. I thought this was very prevalent today, since the news is always over emphasizing the crime that goes on in the Philadelphia area. You hear the broadcasts and stories, and if we didn't know any better you'd think that crime is at an all time high right now. However, this is not the case at all. The chapter tells us that in fact crime has been down since its all time record high in the 1990's. Its true that we tend to listen to what people in "authority" have to say instead of finding the facts for ourselves, because that takes thinking and effort.
In chapter 5, "Facts can change your life" they go into great detail about how the common phrase "you get what you pay for" is not always true. In fact, the phrase is wrong 50% of the time. I thought it was interesting when the author discussed the difference (or lack of) between Smirnoff Vodka and Grey Goose Vodka. In a blind taste test, only half of the people were able to correctly identify which vodka was which. Many people are strong believers that the higher priced product tastes better, however I think our brains manipulate us to believe that rather than it really does taste better. After realizing that we spent more money than we had to, I think people try to justify it by forcing themselves to believe there is a difference in taste when in reality it is probably the exact same product as the cheaper version.
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I agree that people in general jump to conclusions because because of a lack of follow-up research on the issue.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I get on to a plane, I am nervous that something bad is going to happen. I try to remember that the majority of flights are safe, but sometimes, it is just hard to see the good when we only hear about the flights that have problems.
Interesting blog!