Author Topic: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work  (Read 12991 times)

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Offline zeitgeist

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People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« on: December 26, 2015, 06:50:54 PM »

The temptation to put this in the DUmpster was great but I felt it would be wasted there merely poking fun at DUmmies.  It is better people read and reflect on this in a more neutral setting. 

Knowingly or not this is an indictment of the current education system, the crown jewel of liberal belief.  It is a sad truth that some on the left are only now coming to realize. 

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/10027475142

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Danascot (2,087 posts)

People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work


The democratic process relies on the assumption that citizens (the majority of them, at least) can recognize the best political candidate, or best policy idea, when they see it. But a growing body of research has revealed an unfortunate aspect of the human psyche that would seem to disprove this notion, and imply instead that democratic elections produce mediocre leadership and policies.

The research, led by David Dunning, a psychologist at Cornell University, shows that incompetent people are inherently unable to judge the competence of other people, or the quality of those people's ideas. For example, if people lack expertise on tax reform, it is very difficult for them to identify the candidates who are actual experts. They simply lack the mental tools needed to make meaningful judgments.

As a result, no amount of information or facts about political candidates can override the inherent inability of many voters to accurately evaluate them. On top of that, "very smart ideas are going to be hard for people to adopt, because most people don’t have the sophistication to recognize how good an idea is," Dunning told Life's Little Mysteries.

He and colleague Justin Kruger, formerly of Cornell and now of New York University, have demonstrated again and again that people are self-delusional when it comes to their own intellectual skills. Whether the researchers are testing people's ability to rate the funniness of jokes, the correctness of grammar, or even their own performance in a game of chess, the duo has found that people always assess their own performance as "above average" — even people who, when tested, actually perform at the very bottom of the pile

http://news.yahoo.com/people-arent-smart-enough-democracy-flourish-scientists-185601411.html

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Star Member snot (9,439 posts)
1. Even it true,
it would help if we'd provide better public education.

Irony?  You are doing it wrong.

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DonCoquixote (10,282 posts)
31. despite the fact that I diagree with this article

here is an article from one of the scientists quoted in this op: The "Dunning" of Dunning-Kruger

http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/confident-idiots-92793


I  highly recommend the link in the above quote.  Dunning makes some great points which are totally lost on most at the DUmp.  It is a long read but well worth the time IMHO. 
< watch this space for coming distractions >

Offline Big Dog

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #1 on: December 26, 2015, 08:06:02 PM »
The Dunning-Kruger Effect- Bernie Sanders is counting on it!

Government is the negation of liberty.
  -Ludwig von Mises

CAVE FVROREM PATIENTIS.

Offline 98ZJUSMC

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #2 on: December 27, 2015, 05:47:40 AM »
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DonCoquixote (10,282 posts)
31. despite the fact that I diagree with this article

Usually happens when something hits the intellectually dishonest too close to where they live.

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"In many cases, incompetence does not leave people disoriented, perplexed, or cautious. Instead, the incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence, buoyed by something that feels to them like knowledge."

 :-)  Hi, (D)Ummies!   :tongue:
« Last Edit: December 27, 2015, 05:53:16 AM by 98ZJUSMC »
              

Liberal thinking is a two-legged stool and magical thinking is one of the legs, the other is a combination of self-loating and misanthropy.  To understand it, you would have to be able to sit on that stool while juggling two elephants, an anvil and a fragmentation grenade, sans pin.

"Accuse others of what you do." - Karl Marx

Offline thundley4

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #3 on: December 27, 2015, 04:43:29 PM »

 :-)  Hi, (D)Ummies!   :tongue:

A DUmmie could be standing there staring at themselves in a mirror, you could slap them, grab their head, point them at the mirror and they still wouldn't understand what they are looking at.

Offline Zathras

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #4 on: December 27, 2015, 07:40:32 PM »
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hfojvt (36,290 posts)

7. what exactly is an "incompetent person"?

Dumbass, if you want the answer to this question, just look at the membership roster for the DUmp and you'll get your answer.
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Offline obumazombie

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2015, 02:36:23 PM »
Peggy Joseph.
There were only two options for gender. At last count there are at least 12, according to libs. By that standard, I'm a male lesbian.

Offline ROCKURWORLD

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2016, 10:20:20 AM »
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The research, led by David Dunning, a psychologist at Cornell University, shows that incompetent people are inherently unable to judge the competence of other people, or the quality of those people's ideas. For example, if people lack expertise on tax reform, it is very difficult for them to identify the candidates who are actual experts. They simply lack the mental tools needed to make meaningful judgments.

After last night...I believe it.

Offline thundley4

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2016, 11:38:56 AM »
After last night...I believe it.

Too many people are willingly baffled by bullshit artists like Trump.

Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2016, 08:54:51 PM »
They may not be smart enough to recognize 'Good policy ideas,' but the election of Obozo and the rise of the Bern-outs demonstrates without question they can identify which candidate is most likely to give them a bunch of free shit and then vote accordingly.
Go and tell the Spartans, O traveler passing by
That here, obedient to their law, we lie.

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Offline SighLass

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #9 on: May 07, 2016, 01:04:26 AM »
I  highly recommend the link in the above quote.  Dunning makes some great points which are totally lost on most at the DUmp.  It is a long read but well worth the time IMHO. 

I read some, then TLDR came into play... but I was fascinated by one of the puzzles they asked the general public...



This figure was a horn figure hollow tube lying on it's side (horizontal) that allowed a ball to go through it. I wanted at first glance to say B but now I think about it, wouldn't the ball get some sort of clockwise spin on it by rubbing on the outer edge side and go C direction eventually ???
« Last Edit: May 07, 2016, 01:09:38 AM by SighLass »

Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2016, 10:21:04 AM »
In the frictionless world of Newton's laws of motion, B is undoubtedly correct.  In the real world of friction and gravity, I think it probably would veer toward C a bit.  From the curvature of A and C, I think the purpose of the problem is just to wash out people who do not understand that the tube's influence on the motion ends when its physical constraint is no longer applying a centripetal force component to the ball.
Go and tell the Spartans, O traveler passing by
That here, obedient to their law, we lie.

Anything worth shooting once is worth shooting at least twice.

Offline Eupher

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2016, 10:34:49 AM »
They may not be smart enough to recognize 'Good policy ideas,' but the election of Obozo and the rise of the Bern-outs demonstrates without question they can identify which candidate is most likely to give them a bunch of free shit and then vote accordingly.

Like flies toward a pile of shit.
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Offline SighLass

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #12 on: May 08, 2016, 02:07:29 AM »
In the frictionless world of Newton's laws of motion, B is undoubtedly correct.  In the real world of friction and gravity, I think it probably would veer toward C a bit.  From the curvature of A and C, I think the purpose of the problem is just to wash out people who do not understand that the tube's influence on the motion ends when its physical constraint is no longer applying a centripetal force component to the ball.

Thanks Tanker, I have to agree.

Offline Mr Mannn

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Re: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Work
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2016, 05:40:43 PM »
 :cheersmate:
The left knows this all too well. They have been deliberately dumbing down the schools for decades.
Further, they are importing millions of voters from 3rd world countries who have no knowledge of democracy.

An ignorant voter always vote for the Democrat.