Richard’s Reviews > How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion > Status Update

And another domino about isolated communities as power defense falls into place. The only way to prevent a change cascade perpetually is to seal off the community from the ever-shifting outside world.

Anytime I read books like this, I end up contemplating reading the books referenced for more detail, because I need MORE to read.

"...certainty itself is an emotion."

McRaney kind of buried a lede here.

The facts that a) Humans do better in collaboration than in individual reasoning, and b) Online "discussions" largely devolve to arguing with one's self, do not leave me much encouraged about the future.

Money quote, possibly of the book:

"He said the feeling of belonging, of acceptance, was more important to him at that point than any unusual detail. He became pliant, willing to suspend his disbelief to not feel alone."

Community inertia works not just with the rabidly racist. I will be curious to see if McRaney addresses this.

Early in the chapter on Westboro Church, and I'm struck by the parallels to A Well-Trained Wife in the use of religion as a tool of control. On the one hand, I see why people equate the two, but on the other, it feels like people are blaming the tool for how the craftsman used it.

"...there is a number, a quantifiable level of doubt when we admit we are likely wrong and become compelled to update our beliefs, attitudes, and values. Before we reach that level, incongruences make us feel more certain, not less."

Oh hey, it's the whole damn Internet.