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Comment by Confusion | Hacker News Reader

No, this sentiment is very wrong. 10% of the population is functionally illiterate. Another 10% can't do basic arithmetic. Another 10% has more important things to worry about than vetting all their sources. Another 10% just can't be bothered. There are many more reasons why expecting everyone to just be able to develop the ability to critically gather and evaluate information is clearly a fantasy that can only be entertained when you don't realize how incredibly challenged people are, probably because they don't interact with any.

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To the contrary, I think the average joe is generally more reasonable and able to develop critical thinking skills than most people think. They just don't ever get the opportunity to learn it properly. There might be a subset of the population that is actually incapable of proper reason due to cognitive deficits, but that is definitly not the majority.

This sentiment is one of the reasons anti-intellectualism is thriving at this very moment.

> This sentiment is one of the reasons anti-intellectualism is thriving at this very moment.

One hell of a feedback loop that is...

  I think the average joe is generally more reasonable and 
  able to develop critical thinking skills than most people 
  think

You think wrong. You would like this to be the case and you let the desire cloud your judgment. It's simply not the case. The research is squarely against you.

  They just don't ever get the opportunity to learn it properly.

That's irrelevant. The point is that they never learned and cannot be expected to learn anym ore. We have to care for these people, instead of expecting them to take care of it themselves, telling them they are capable of it. Because they aren't and they don't.

  This sentiment is one of the reasons anti-intellectualism is thriving at this very moment.

This is not a sentiment: these are facts.

At least 10% of people are functionally illiterate. How are you going to teach them critical thinking skills? How are you going to get them to see the truth about e.g. vaccination? Answer: you don't. This is where we need a government, to take care of those that do not, for whatever reason, take care of themselves.

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