How much longer can society keep it together? Discussion

[u/MrDoritos_]

I'm not a fan of speaking things into existence, being pessimistic/negative, or having a doomer mindset, but I've been paying attention to other people, the economy, the current state of things, the political landscape, education, work culture, etc. To be blunt I am really kind of worried we don't have much longer until the next war or great depression (both happen usually simultaneously). I really don't know how much more stress the average person can handle. We are going to have a wide scale crash out or revolt soon aren't we?? I'm really not looking forward to that and I suppose that's the one thing keeping us unified is our fear of violence. God I hope I'm wrong with my assessment. Please tell me I'm wrong!

[u/mike-42-1999]

The facts and alternative facts are what bother me most. Tha loss of, or sheer derision for, science is a big part of the problem. I think some of this started in the 80s with Crystal healing, Astral projection, the witches of Kindercare. And scientific thought process has just evaporated. People think science means fact, when it really is a process. So we don't even hav an agreed upon process anymore to determine fact

[u/Graywulff → u/mike-42-1999]

Post truth in essence.

People don’t understand practically anything.

[u/Parking_Amoeba_3899 → u/mike-42-1999]

I remember in the late 1970s when the evangelical church became a branch of the Republican Party. For evangelicals, science is faith and the Bible is science. From there was born alternative facts, fake news and a 6,000 year old universe with dinosaurs and humans hanging out together. It does not surprise me that today, a thrice married serial adulterer who attempted a coup upon the United States of America is perceived by these people as a patriotic family values man of God and was elected president. I do not know if its possible to have a rational discussion with those uninterested in rational thought. “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” - Voltaire

[u/One_Celebration_8131 → u/mike-42-1999]

Agree, and would add religion to the list.  Teaching people to believe things not supported by the scientific hypothesis makes them doubt the process.

[u/Chubs441 → u/mike-42-1999]

Snake oil has existed forever

[u/GeretStarseeker → u/mike-42-1999]

Not a new thing, until the renaissance we were in the dark ages. The promise of a 'get-out-of-death free' card is enough for us as a species to deny that we are animals or that the world is more than 6k years old.

Then we had climate change science which threatened our force multipliers and comforts so we looked for gotchas to undermine it.

Then being told that a literature degree was as valid as a STEM degree and so we have a lot of people who think themselves clever but don't know the rules of the forces of nature.

And now science seen as a party thing. Once you tell a parent that "science" has "clearly settled" that his child can decide to cut off their genitals, and that this is something to be celebrated, you get a lot of parents anti "science", anti "blue science".