You Are Less Dumb Now: The Backfire Effect and Fighting On The Internet
I always knew fighting online was stupid. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. I mean, endlessly debating the merits of theism with random strangers? It's like begging to get dragged into a black hole of endless suck. But sometimes, even though it might seem harmless, it's really necessary to take a step back. I recently learned about something called The Backfire Effect, and I had a chance to see it play out in painfully slow motion on twitter earlier this morning. Essentially, the backfire effect works like this: "Once something is added to your collection of beliefs, you protect it from harm. You do it instinctively and unconsciously when confronted with attitude-inconsistent information. Just as confirmation bias shields you when you actively seek information, the backfire effect defends you when the information seeks you, when it blindsides you. Coming or going, you stick to your beliefs instead of questioning them. When someone tries to correct you, tr...