The reason for bullshit

[luzribeiro]

Do people believe things more readily the more ridiculous they are?

We have people in this world who believed that Facebook was going to become a paid subscription site, that the Earth sits in a small habitable zone and that we would freeze or burn up if it moved 10 feet further from or 10 feet closer to the sun, that the Earth is flat, that evolution didn't occur and doesn't explain the variety of life on this planet, that Trump actually wants to "drain the swamp" despite living in it his entire life, that Hillary Clinton is such a criminal mastermind that she has managed to hide all evidence of her supposed crimes from even the most exhaustive and wide ranging investigations, and that trickle down economics works.

Now, we have people actually believing that Facebook is going to disallow swearing/vulgar language, kicking off those who don't comply?

What does it take to have people actually question things before buying into them?

Comments

[mahnmut]

Good questions. I just finished reading Fantasyland, a history of gullibility and fake news that goes back to the Puritans. We didn’t get like this overnight and there have always been people ready to prey on the naive.

[airiefairie]

Bookmarking this title.

[garote]

If the sun stopped shining on the Earth for ONE day, the entire surface would cool to100 degrees below freezing.

Preposterous or obvious? Depends on how detailed your knowledge of thermodynamics and astrophysics is.

[oportet]

No more swearing should be the least of our worries, soon - the internet won't be free anymore! Websites will cost money to visit!

[garote]

Every website costs money to visit. The only argument is over who gets a slice of that money!

[oportet]

But Trumps going to make it where we have to pay for internet!

I can stop it though - all I have to do is click and sign a petition.

[garote]

Remember the safe clicking rule:

Snopes It Before You Pokes It™