D&D and the rising pandemic

[Ryujin]

It’s actually worse than that.

Like Umbran said, this has become a matter of identity. For them, accepting their fantasy has been debunked could be as disruptive to their sense of self as finding out their ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower, the family fortune was built on illegal arms sales, or granny was a madame in Las Vegas.

It’s not just, “Ooops, I was wrong.”, it’s “My world is coming undone.” It’s the psychological equivalent of a roundhouse blow from the reigning heavy champion of the world.

We of Highlands descent have a pretty simple way of handling this; we start by admitting that our ancestors were recalcitrant horse and cattle thieves, then move on from there. Doesn't work for everyone, but it helps overall

 

[FitzTheRuke]

There's an element of that, too. But consider the next step, the broader implications...

If you are wrong about this, what else is linked to it that you might also be wrong about? If you're into these ideas, you probably went to a couple of specific places to get information, and you probably believed them on those things too. But now all those sources, and all the things you believed from them, become suspect.

It goes from the embarassment about being a fool, to being oh, crap, everything you know is wrong very quickly.

Yeah... then you also have not just "I did a foolish thing" but "I AM a fool" and "I have always been a fool".

No wonder they cling so hard.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

We of Highlands descent have a pretty simple way of handling this; we start by admitting that our ancestors were recalcitrant horse and cattle thieves, then move on from there. Doesn't work for everyone, but it helps overall

Must be my Scottish side. I always assume that I've probably made a massive mistake recently (without knowing what it is) and that my ancestors accomplished nothing of note. Of course, I'm Canadian, so I'm also very sorry for whatever I've done!

 

[Ryujin]

Must be my Scottish side. I always assume that I've probably made a massive mistake recently (without knowing what it is) and that my ancestors accomplished nothing of note. Of course, I'm Canadian, so I'm also very sorry for whatever I've done!

Canadian, of Scottish roots, and every time I read one of the stories out of "The Book of the Clans" I feel like I should call someone and apologize too

 

[Umbran]

Yeah... then you also have not just "I did a foolish thing" but "I AM a fool" and "I have always been a fool".

No wonder they cling so hard.

Well, my point is that it then is beyond the shame of foolishness. It becomes about literally not knowing what "knowledge" you hold true can be trusted. That's a psychologically deeper issue than shame.

It isn't, "Oh, I've been a fool." It becomes "Well... who the heck am I if all this stuff is wrong?"

 

[Rabulias]

Well, my point is that it then is beyond the shame of foolishness. It becomes about literally not knowing what "knowledge" you hold true can be trusted. That's a psychologically deeper issue than shame.

It isn't, "Oh, I've been a fool." It becomes "Well... who the heck am I if all this stuff is wrong?"

So what brings this about more in some people than others? I know we all have it to some degree or another, but I have changed my mind about many significant things over the years, and it has not caused even a minor identity crisis for me. Is there a root cause or other signs that signals this tendency?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

An interesting little article discussing C19’s 2 month surge/decline/surge cycle. They note that this cycle maintained itself through changes in human behavior, seasons, vaccinations and other variables.

Trying to Make Sense of COVID's Mysterious 2-Month Cycle

COVID-19 is once again in retreat. The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough — and been going on long enough — to deserve attention. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times...

www.yahoo.com

Towards the end, there’s also this tidbit:

Eventually, immunity will become widespread enough that another wave as large and damaging as the delta wave will not be possible. “Barring something unexpected,” said Dr. Scott Gottleib, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of “Uncontrolled Spread,” a new book on COVID, “I’m of the opinion that this is the last major wave of infection.”

Note, he’s not contradicting many virologists’ assertion that C19 is likely endemic at this point, but rather, he things we’re approaching a point in global society where major, dangerous outbreaks may be a thing of the past.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

So what brings this about more in some people than others? I know we all have it to some degree or another, but I have changed my mind about many significant things over the years, and it has not caused even a minor identity crisis for me. Is there a root cause or other signs that signals this tendency?

I don’t know that it’s present MORE in some than others, but it may rather be that some of those beliefs are more easily challenged than others.

If the 5-generations old story about your family’s noble roots in europe are wrong, it’s not going to be easy to prove that without some quality research. Most people won’t even challenge that. So, barring extraordinary circumstances, the erroneous belief is unlikely to be challenged. Ever.

But if something new gets absorbed into your idea of self, and it happens to be newsworthy and actively challenged by others? Things can get ugly very quickly. A classic example happens when there is a schism in a family because XYZ belief system is supposedly a cult. People sever lifelong bonds over things like this…sometimes with “extreme prejudice.”

As for the signposts? Look for strong beliefs that should not/cannot be challenged. Emotional overreaction to the the belief being challenged- “OVER” being key. Mania regarding the belief.

 

[Janx]

So what brings this about more in some people than others? I know we all have it to some degree or another, but I have changed my mind about many significant things over the years, and it has not caused even a minor identity crisis for me. Is there a root cause or other signs that signals this tendency?

Fear. One group of people test high for it. it shows in their politics and the kind of things they support.

 

[Ryujin]

So what brings this about more in some people than others? I know we all have it to some degree or another, but I have changed my mind about many significant things over the years, and it has not caused even a minor identity crisis for me. Is there a root cause or other signs that signals this tendency?

That might be because you evolved your point of view for yourself, rather than having an "alternate reality" slap you across the face like an iced haddock.