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Are Americans more prone to conspiracy theories than people in other countries? (lemmy.world)

submitted 9 months ago by someguy3@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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It's wild.

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[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 17 points 9 months ago

You can read "The Paranoid Style In American Politics" from 1964 for some insight: https://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics/

American politics has often been an arena for angry minds. In recent years we have seen angry minds at work mainly among extreme right-wingers, who have now demonstrated in the Goldwater movement how much political leverage can be got out of the animosities and passions of a small minority. But behind this I believe there is a style of mind that is far from new and that is not necessarily right-wing. I call it the paranoid style simply because no other word adequately evokes the sense of heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy that I have in mind. In using the expression “paranoid style” I am not speaking in a clinical sense, but borrowing a clinical term for other purposes. I have neither the competence nor the desire to classify any figures of the past or present as certifiable lunatics. In fact, the idea of the paranoid style as a force in politics would have little contemporary relevance or historical value if it were applied only to men with profoundly disturbed minds. It is the use of paranoid modes of expression by more or less normal people that makes the phenomenon significant.

It's written at a higher than 6th grade target, so it might be a challenge for anyone who's not used to that. Please give it a good faith effort to read.

Thinking about it, the low literacy rate in the US might be an aggravating factor. Something like half of US adults cannot read at a 6th grade level. That's going to hurt their ability to deal with complex topics.

[-] JungleJim@sh.itjust.works 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

It's written at a higher than 6th grade target, so it might be a challenge for anyone who's not used to that. Please give it a good faith effort to read

You know, you lose a lot of people with comments like that, talking down to everyone. You've provided a source that makes a lot of good points, but that's some alienating phrasing that'll make people feel you're elitist.

[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 5 points 9 months ago

On the one hand, you're right.

I wrote that bit because when I was reading the linked article, it felt harder to read and understand than what I'm used to. So it wasn't really coming from malicious elitism.

On the other hand, I want to live in a world where people don't feel insulted (even when it was by accident, like here!) and just completely stop listening. I know I do it too, but it sucks.

Especially with the "elitism" facet. Sometimes other people actually are better than us on whatever topic. That's okay. Like if we were talking about math and you were like "This uses some complex algorithms so it might be hard to follow if you haven't done more than algebra in a few years" I'm not going to be mad. What would I even be mad about?

[-] JungleJim@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 months ago

I'm sorry for assuming your intentions were less than innocent and positive. I also want to live in that sort of world, and I hope it didn't seem like I was jumping on your case or calling you a jerk. I just think it's important to choose our words in a way that encourages people to read. Too often people think they're bad at reading or math or something and so they avoid it, when it should be more like singing; it doesn't matter if it sounds good, we sing as a manner of expression. Reading should be for everyone. But, I was misguided, and you weren't disagreeing with that notion, and so I'm sorry.

[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 2 points 9 months ago

It is very rare for anyone on the internet to apologize or admin fault. Well done. Thank you. I understand your intent and I'm not mad. Apology accepted.

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world -2 points 9 months ago

Oh no. Telling the truth alienates all of the idiots? We should really coddle them more, because that's what's important- their feelings.

[-] MajorHavoc@programming.dev 2 points 9 months ago

Thinking about it, the low literacy rate in the US might be an aggravating factor.

if those kids could read, they would be very upset

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world -4 points 9 months ago

"Read at a 6th grade level"

I thought it worked like, when you know how to read, you know how to read, and if you don't, you won't.

[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 1 points 9 months ago

There are different reading levels, but I don't know a lot about them because I'm not in education.

You can probably recognize it even if you never thought about it before. "See spot run" or "Green eggs and ham" are very simple texts. Something like "the Great Gatsby" or "the Hobbit" are more complex, and a 2nd grader would struggle to read them even if they technically know how to read.

Technical manuals, works on a specialist topic, or .. my knowledge fails me a little here, but like more complicated novels, may be more advanced. More advanced in vocabulary, sentence structure, and things like symbolism, metaphor, or whatever cool shit House of Leaves was doing.

I don't know how legit this site is, but it seems to cover the topic https://www.weareteachers.com/reading-levels/

I think this is a sample of a text written at the 6th grade level https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/english-level-test/reading . I looked it up when that article about how most adults can't read and comprehend at that level was going around.

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world -4 points 9 months ago

The Great Gatsby is shit, and the Hobbit is even worse. It doesn't affect the situation here, but just wanted to make sure we're on the same page.

So reading level is basically a stupidity meter. If you can read this text, you're a moron. But you're less of a moron if you can read this text.

[-] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 1 points 9 months ago

I don't think we're really on the same page. Literacy and intelligence aren't the same thing. But if you take nothing else away from this, I think you got the "higher reading levels are more complex" thing. Maybe.

Also I think you have a typo and one of your can should be can't

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world -1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Bold of you to assume I have a point, and that's not a typo. That's the duality of existence.

this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024

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