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“Human beings have a strong dramatic instinct toward binary thinking, a basic urge to divide things into two distinct groups, with nothing but an empty gap in between. We love to dichotomize. Good versus bad. Heroes versus villains. My country versus the rest. Dividing the world into two distinct sides is simple and intuitive, and also dramatic because it implies conflict, and we do it without thinking, all the time.”
~Hans Rosling

(Book: Factfulness [amzn.to]

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skado 9 July 21
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10 comments

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1

This only points to and confirms our base level instincts; that what we are hard wired for. This applies not only to our species, but all species. Rather than acknowledge and work within this, we spend our time denying it and forcing on ourselves what is not natural and then get upset when we realize our utopian rose colored version of what we hope for isn't working.

1

“There are two kinds of people…” lol

2

My favourite saying. " The two are not mutually exclusive. " Like literalism and metaphor.

3

Monotheistic Dualism

1

It’s Hans Rosling telling us what he does.

2

There are two factors at least at work, both fear and laziness. Laziness because it is easier to think in dichotomies rather than bell curves, and fear because we distrust the unknown and what we don't understand, which in turn fuels tribalism. Both are justified to a degree, it is wise to fear the unknown, the old floor boards, may be weak and rotten, and laziness is an evolved trait which saves us energy. The real problem comes, when the two work together powerfully and produce a discontinuous mindset.

3

It's the people who choose to divide others in order to conquer who are most damaging and dangerous.
It's people who are susceptible to being divided, media sources/opinionators like carlson, etc. prey upon.
And of course politicians.
What I do not understand are the people who literally seem unable to see this.

0

The 2 groups easily turn into good and bad so it is common to assume that religion is right because it solves all ills and believers have to have a place to put Hitler. A desire for vengeance is more acceptable than just saying Hitler is dead. On the smaller scale all sports involve these principals. This is why in a recent blog a woman replied that I did believe in god. My statement was simply that everyone knew god loved sports. If you agree with my statement it shows that you are supplying what your god does or does not believe in.

1

I'd would agree with this statement. I see a likely survival advantage of creating loyalty to the survival of one's tribe, clan, country, etc. - even to the point of being irrational. Prejudice is a natural consequence of this occurance. It doesn't make prejudice cny more just or desirable is a greater sense, only that it is natural occurance which under certain circumstances provide survival advantages.

Concerning conflict, human being love certain aspects of conflict. Sports are all about confluct but contained within certain parameters. Some might be more difficult to recognize, but others are very violent and are known to draw blood. Boxing and other combat sports as well as sports like American and worldwide football are well known for violent contact in the course of play between opposing team members.

3

Would that be Just 2 sides?

The answer would be no, but much of the organized conflict does tend to migrate into 2 camps with sides that are more alike or with a common goal (like defeating a common aggressor) becoming allies.

I would say no. I doubt there are people who always dichotomize, or people who never dichotomize. More likely there is a spectrum of people who have greater and lesser tendencies to dichotomize. But I think we all have that tendency to some degree.

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