Do you think that the sheep mentality of people is due to low intelligence or ignorance

submitted by PencilPusher55 from self.AskSaidIt

I assume there's no right answer. Are NPC's low IQ or are they just ignorant. There are plenty of smart ignorant people, right?

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[–]Tom_Bombadil 17 insightful - 4 fun17 insightful - 3 fun18 insightful - 4 fun -  (7 children)

Do you think that the sheep mentality of people is due to low intelligence or ignorance

Propaganda is the main issue. The are numerous sources, but they support each other.

It's taught in school.
Pushed in news.
Pushed in the workplace.

Propaganda is less effective on a critical thinking populace, so critical thinking is rarely taught.

Gaslighting is often used to shame critical thought. "Those conspiracy theories/theorists...", etc.

I don't think it's an issue of actual intelligence/education.

The "managerial class" is probably the most brainwashed group of all. The propaganda targets this group, because they are the community leaders, etc.
They generally accept the MSM talking points, and are less critical of "authority".

The "worker class" is probably the most resistant to Propaganda. They know their leaders are lying.

You'll find a much larger % of working class people think that 9/11 was an inside job, and the Coco is a hoax.

[–]asterias 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

The "worker class" is probably the most resistant to Propaganda. They know their leaders are lying.

It depends, in some countries the "worker class" believes that the communist party will save them...

[–]Fuckyoucensorship 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Only in the beginning and then they learn its a farce but they can't fight back with all the revolutionaries beheaded so they agree to stay alive.

[–]jamesK_3rd 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Worker class are most likely to be ignorant and willing to accept/trade what the govt provides them.

Those with education within this class often are in fields with the most indoctrination, think social workers, journalists, teachers and blue collar healthcare workers.

The wealthier class individuals typically fare the best. Most of them who are not "old money" Typically choose a field where there is still some form of meritocracy. Many provide a social structure for their family and children other than govt provided ones, this includes religious groups or community/work related groups. Most of them include a two parent household consisting of a male and a female, and the parents typically take a strong role in their offspring's learning and development even outside of school. Being that there are two parents, this can make a big difference.

These parents often take a more definitive role in looking at the offspring's peers and potential mates, the family pressure to keep their offspring looking for mates with similar backgrounds, such as choosing a mate having been reared by a traditional two parent household provides for a greater chance the child withstands social pressures such as indoctrination at high school and college.

The more successful the individual is, the more susceptible they will be to the shame of doing well, or guilt for their privilege or success. Their cognitive dissonance allows them to endorse groups like antifa and BLM, because they are largely a "them over there" problem. Protestor have largely remained in urban areas, well outside of the suburbs especially outside of the wealthy areas within the burbs.

The wealthy elites largely don't care about anything other than power. Antifa, BLM, proud boys, etc are all weapons to wield for a politically driven motivations or power.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

It depends, in some countries the "worker class" believes that the communist party will save them...

I can't say for certain, but I bet they're probably less brainwashed and propagandized then the so-called "communist leaders".

[–]beyoncepaddock 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

how do you know the managerial class is targeted with propaganda? im just interested in further insight.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

One of Noam Chomsky's books. Either "Manufacturing Consent", or "Necessary Illusions".

These are crucial for understand the propaganda model of the media.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You missed the big one, TV. It's the major source of all the dumbness. Unplug it from anything like a new channel or you'll be on reddit basically.

[–]jet199 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Neither, its common sense. Most people want an easy life and to be comfortably off. They don't want to be heroes, they don't get much effected by which particular arsehole is in charge, their perspective is local and personal not international and impersonal.

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

I'd agree but NPC's are not always passive. Sometimes quite the opposite.

[–]magnora7 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think the bulk of it is deliberate ignorance due to social pressure. They don't want to accidentally realize something true that might alienate them from their friends or peers, so they put boundaries on their thinking to protect themselves from these consequences.

[–]Questionable 7 insightful - 2 fun7 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Ignorance

Low IQ

Poor Nutrition

Bad Logic Skills

Bad Up Bringing

Propaganda

Social Engineering

Peer Pressure and Associated Guilt and Fear

Genetics

Environmental Toxins and Poisons.

Poverty

Stress

Excess Drugs, Alcohol and addictions

Mental Illness

Chemical Imbalance

Miss Understanding of Word interactions

Miss understanding of Social Norms

Miss understanding of the Spoken Language

۝

Look, it's easy to understand things when there are only two choices given. When they are over simplified. homogenized into duel choices, like left or right, good and evil. Low IQ or ignorance. Like the sheep that can only see dogs and wȯ̵̹̝̕lves.

This is how people dismiss things easily. Though you should not. Do not dismiss anything so easily. Never forget, everyone is an individual, even the NPC that seems confused by what may seem to be simple logic to you. People are not NPCs. This is just social engineering, in order to create an "Us Versus them" paradigm. Do not fall for it, or others may see you as the one whom is the NPC.

Ĥ̅͛ǝ̮̺͕̲̰llo ʍoɹlp' I,m Qnǝsʇᴉouɐqlǝ.̬̘̟ͅ

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I gave 2 choices for a reason. Because one was representative of an intelligence deficit, the other was more towards societal thought.

[–]Questionable 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yes, you have given us a choice. One we must decide on. Now what would be worse, if it were a conscious decision to do this, or not? Think carefully now. I've given you the ability to choose.

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

What should I have said

[–]Algebruh 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Fear, exhaustion, incessant propaganda, existential dread, etc. Most people don't care if their leaders are literal saints or if they kick babies. As long as it wasn't their baby and they can keep their porn, sportsball, corn syrup, Soma, and watch some devil spout gibberish on the idiot box they'll count their blessings that they aren't in Africa. That said most folks are less ignorant than people assume. They just assume, probably accurately, that they'll be incapable of taking care of their families/themselves if order is disrupted more than it already is. Take away a persons sense of stability and they'll run into the arms of their tribe. Running into the arms of your tribe isn't necessarily a bad thing, a lot of folks just chose shitty tribes.

[–]GConly 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Neither, it's self preservation.

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

This is what I feel is right, but that this act of self preservation is coming from places the "sheeple" don't yet understand. It seems to happen unconsciously for everyone, but that many actively choose to consciously act on it rather than just be influenced by it.

I view these people as rudderless boats. They are allowing their selves to be pushed around by the biggest gust of wind at the moment. If another powerful gust came at the right second, they would be pushed in another direction with little resistance.

They do this to stay afloat in their human society.

[–]Unfiltered_Insanity 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Stupidity has a lot to do with it, and you can see this clearly by looking at how popular scam products are. I also feel lack of logic plays a huge part in this as well. Also a major flaw in humans is the "us and them" mentality.

Last thing I'd like to point out, is that dividing the populace up is a common tactic used by those who rule over larger groups of humans. What we are seeing here isn't all that new, it's just that we are seeing it being done in real time, because we all use the internet. Propaganda is the name of the game for most social media sites.

[–]the-unflattering-6 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Some of the dumbest people I know have master's and doctorate degrees.

What do they all have in common? Pride. They are too wrapped in themselves to be considered free thinkers. A lot of that has to do with what they are being taught - my brother, who has a master's degree in business, was told that he was one of the best in the world because he got into that specific program. And he completely bought into it. When that happens, you lose any sense of perspective. I know a lawyer, a doctor of philosophy, a doctor of psychology, and even a few psychiatrists who fit that description.

[–]H3v8 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I would say 80% low IQ, 20% ignorance.

[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

We're social animals, it's in our nature. Although I see herd mentality and NPCism as totally different constructs. NPCs have no personality, no spark, maybe it's they were born without souls like their video game namesakes, simply automatons going through their preprogrammed motions.

[–]discountmeat 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

People wake up on their own time. Remember when you didn't believe in the truth? You came to it through your own process, just as they will. Most people have stopped growing however, and would rather die than wake up. Openness comes through growth.

[–]nppo 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I guarantee there would be a large majority who would choose to take the blue pill, so to speak, even if they were somehow shown what reality really is

[–]Iswearbymyfloralhat 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I assume that most of the NPCs that instigate are paid to stir shit up. They work in groups to hijack the conversation and force it to be hateful. It's best to go talk to people in real life, the internet has become too fake to accurately reflect the views of itizens

[–]IridescentAnaconda 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Neither. It's a limbic system issue.

I was actually talking about this with my spouse the other day, in reference to a close family member of mine. It's not that this person can't do logic, i.e. A -> B -> C -> D. It's that there is an emotional response between B and C that prevents further reasoning, making it impossible to get from A to D.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

I think if you're here, or somewhere onine talking outside the mainstream stuff, there's a high chance you're autistic, I mean it in a good way, this kind of obsessive caring about facts and morality is rare in humans, most aren't so much ignorant of reality they just don't care. Smart people, nerds, get bullied in school.

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Do you mean all of us or from my post history? I constantly post questions on here about the way people think, feel, and interact. I have never fit in. I do not know if this is because I am a genuinely dumb person or if I think too deeply.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

all of us

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Laziness.

[–]Nightjar 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Neither. We are social animals. It is typically in our interest to go with the group consensus. By going against the consensus, you are taking a lot of risk. It might pay off, but it is a large gamble.

The best example of this is probably is with east asian countries. They have the highest IQ's, but are extremely communal societies, hence they have a lot of groupthink.

[–]HiddenFox 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

In canada there is a rule for politicians. Don't disrupt the three H's. Hockey, Health care and Hortons (Tim Hortons).

The idea is that as long as your actions don't affect people's immediate lives you can do pretty much anything.

So to me that is ignorance. I hear plenty of people complaining but when it comes time to vote at the polls it come down to who can promise the most. Here in canada that is a part time drama teacher/ ski instructor with a legacy from his father...

People know the facts, they are just choosing path with least resistance.

[–]PencilPusher55[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

But this is what I don't see happening. At times I imagine NPCs to be passive, uninterested people who want nothing to do with the popular cause, political movement, or grandstanding environment. I have seen the opposite. That the NPCs obsessively cover their social media pages with the hot slogan, they DO cause problems by attacking people who disagree with them. They aren't passive. It's like a more aggressive strain of NPCism.

Granted, you could say this applies to both sides, sure. Just as how Biden voters say "Me no vote for Trump he racisss", I see just as many Trump voters say "He best man for job. He care bout America".

Neither of them seem socially removed or quiet about their beliefs in any regard. They adopt to a certain movement and make it their identity.

[–]hennaojichan 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think it's partly peer pressure, propaganda, and partly because people are too busy trying to put food on their tables to even think about it.

As for IQ, take a look around you. Half of those people have an IQ under 100. Oops, rubberbiscuit already said this.

[–]gravyontop 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Conditioning

[–]ANIKAHirsch 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It's willful ignorance. In most cases, the only way anyone could be so ignorant, is if they're purposely avoiding information that contradicts their worldview.

[–]hfxB0oyA 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think it's more a case of disingenuous people with an axe to grind being given bullshit PhDs in complaining, which then gives them the illusion of authority. This way, their complaints get elevated from just some annoying dickhead complaining that they didn't get a big enough share of the candy to that of "a distinguished Doctor shining a light on the injustices of society". Enough of these people complain the same way, then it leaks into the corporate media, which is just interested in selling ads next to the popular meme of the day rather than looking into things, and then the people swallowing their shit decide that it's time to march because talking about Adele's weight loss was so last week.

[–]Masterblaster 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It has to do with worldview. The idea that your leaders are actually predatory and evil is much harder for some people to accept than others.

That’s why arguing based on facts doesn’t work. You can’t change a person’s worldview against their will with facts.

[–]RossGray 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

is all about how much food they have

[–]blowininthewind 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

i feel like there are two kinds of sheep. the first kind is the real ones. they will back off no matter what and that is because, well, personality. the second kind will back off a lot, but will react just like a wolf to anything beyond that level.

so i guess choose your targets when deciding who to pick on?

i mean, germany in the thirties did not make the right choice for example.