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ignorance

The Difference Between Ignorance and Stupidity

July 12, 2021

Philosophy, Society

ignorance, social masses, social media, society, stupidity

Are stupidity and ignorance synonymous? Perhaps in some contexts, but the answer must be “no”. There is a clear difference between ignorance and stupidity, and understanding this difference can inform our interaction with other people. This is especially the case when this interaction happens online.

The reason I’m writing this post is – as any other – entirely selfish. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I’m happy if you can find something useful in Home for Fiction posts. But I’m writing them for myself. And so, a post on the difference between ignorance and stupidity serves as a reminder to myself; a conceptual compass that can help me navigate the frustrating reality surrounding me.

As I mentioned in an online discussion, I’ve reached an age where I have precisely zero tolerance for stupidity and dogmatism. However – and this I didn’t mention in that discussion – I still tolerate ignorance. Tolerating ignorance while fiercely distancing myself from stupidity is the only way – for me at least – to fight against stupidity while remaining relatively sane.

difference between ignorance and stupidity
This cat impatiently waits to hear about the difference between ignorance and stupidity (hey, any post is better with a cat photo)
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Do Writers Have Social Responsibility?

July 5, 2021

Literature, Society

ignorance, responsibility, society, writing

I don’t know; that’s the only honest answer to the question above. That’s also the reason why I phrased it as a question. Do writers have any social responsibility? I will try to get a bit closer to the truth during the process of composing this post. If it can help you, too, in some way, all the better.

As a first thing, we would need to lay down some important theoretical foundations. When we wonder whether writers have social responsibility, there are two elements we need to define or clarify:

  • What do we mean by “writers”? Fiction writers? Nonfiction writers? Artists (who, remember, are not the same as writers)?
  • What on earth is “social responsibility”?

Most misunderstandings arise from using the same word but meaning different things – think of “love” or “success” – so being as clear as possible about our definitions is important. So, I’ll begin with trying to clarify these terms in my own head first, and then I’ll try to see how (if at all) they play ball together.

writers social responsibility
Writers have no social responsibility. They only have responsibility toward their art
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Binary Dilemmas: What They Are and how to Avoid Them

February 22, 2021

Philosophy, Society

conditioning, dilemma, ignorance, mediocrity, misinformation, philosophy, questions, social media, society

Binary dilemmas are dilemmas that force you to choose either of two options. You could argue the term “binary dilemma” is somewhat redundant, in the sense that a dilemma usually only involves two options.

However, this is not always true; you could be facing a dilemma between wearing a red, a blue, or a white t-shirt. More importantly, I deploy the term “binary dilemma” to emphasize the particular social dynamics involved: Binary dilemmas are insidiously constructed in a way that conditions you to believe these are the only alternatives.

As a humoristic example of a binary dilemma, imagine a woman asking her boyfriend’s opinion on her new dress. If she phrases her question as “does this make me look fat or thin?”, there is no way for the hapless man to offer a pleasing answer.

If the example seems familiar, it’s taken from my post on the only game in town fallacy. However, whereas that post only focused on the fallacy, the focus of this post will be on avoiding binary dilemmas.

Moreover, the concept of a binary dilemma transcends a mere discussion between two people, having far wider consequences. Think of media, social media, social conditioning, misinformation, and ways to control public opinion.

Importantly, whereas in the example with the dress there is likely no intention to deceive, binary dilemmas are nearly always precisely constructed to make it appear as if there were no alternative.

binary dilemmas
A binary dilemma strives to convince you that there is no other alternative
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