What if this forum was dominated by creationists?

Well, seeing how you assumed I'm a rescuer and reformer and you look down on such kind, not surprising you would say this.I just noticed something. Group think is taking hold of this thread. I said something that the politically correct crowd doesn't like, and now my words are nitpicked and quote-mined.Anyway, I still reserve the right to call that family white trash, and the parents white trash parents. Read my previous explanations for why.

Sorry, I don't look down on reformers and rescuers but they do scare the hell outta me.

I am not sure that I agree with that. Group thinking is when an individual goes along with the opinion of the group in order to avoid sticking out from the crowd or to avoid disruption. It is basically succumbing to peer pressure and I think that people know when they are doing it. If you honestly agree with the group position then it is not the same thing as suppressing any dissent that you might have in order to remain part of the group.As you say, the structure of the group is the best indication of whether or not group thinking is prevalent. It is up to the individual to speak their mind but if there are systemic restrictions in place then the group is more likely to suffer from it and those restrictions are usually very visible.

Also, group think is not the same as agroup of people who have the same opinion.Scientifically educated people are all going to have the same view about the broader aspects of the ToE and geology - that isn't group think, it's concensus.

Yes so group think does not apply to empirically evidenced things but only to areas where we have to make assumptions.

Hi Yenmor,"The lady doth protest to much, me thinks."Airing out your boyfriend and his familie's dirty laundry on a anonymous internet forum is not a way to reconcile the way you feel about it. This has nothing to do with the Dunning-Krueger effect and perhaps more to do with you not wanting to appear elitist and judgemental. Which is precisely how many fundies act.

I see. Then, for this specific instance, how do you know you are being "exactly literal" and not evaluating your own judgement incorrectly? I think you're justified in calling anyone anything you'd like. It's your mouth.
I'm fairly confident you're accurately describing the actions you've listed.
I'm also fairly confident you're not describing all their actions, and that they do other things that would certainly not be labelled as white trash.I'm sure you and I both do things that can be called white trash.
I'm sure we both do things that go against that label as well.It is extremely rare to find a person (let alone a family) that is one thing all the time. May even be impossible. I didn't present anything. I just asked a question about some stuff that you said. I just found it interesting that earlier you mentioned how people can't ever really be positive that anything they judge is ever really 100%valid. Then you get onto a topic that you're passionate about, and all of a sudden you're "exactly literal." It seemed like a contradiction to me and I was just wondering if you'd ever get around to this again: Exactly.
Myself included. Which is why I asked you a question for clarification in the first place.

I don't believe that people who are actually in group think situations consciously realize it, because nobody would chose to do it. In fact people in those situations would likely tell you that they value diversity of thought and opinion.Have you ever found yourself in a group think situation. I have found myself in that situation on a few occasions. My personal experience is that the pressure at work are far more subtle than you describe.In the case of this forum, I have no doubt that most of the participants here have reached their conclusions independently, so I'm not saying that their ideas about creatonism or evolution are a product of group think. But I think much of the culture exhibited here is a product of group think.

What if this forum was dominated by creationists?It would be a lot more fun! Imagine what a target-rich environment that would be.What if this forum was run by creationists?Anyone offering opposing opinions, no matter the evidence provided, would be banned within three posts.

Evolutionfairytale welcomes you. Haha

I would argue that group think creeps up on us and that no one is immune to it all the time. It has happened to me as I'm sure it has happened to others.I've read a study before, can't find citation, that the bigger the crowd, the lower the average IQ.

Stop it with the quote mining. The first instance was referring to individuals doing independent evaluation, and I even explained that in such a case we can never know for sure if what we think is truly accurate. The second instance there was a specific example of a literal white trash family. I even went out of my way to give you details about that family. Read my previous descriptions of them. And I'm not the only one who has described them as white trash.May be one of the posters here was right, that you were just baiting waiting for me to back peddle or whatever. Independent verifications by others. I've even written out some details about them for you to see.Based on the details I've given, how else would you describe this family?I still don't understand how you can continue to quote mine me and misread what I said like that. Just baiting for me to back peddle?Edited by yenmor, : No reason given.

You are absolutely correct. I guess I got carried away when that family came to my mind. My mind is preoccupied with them at the moment. The aunts and uncles are trying to guilt us into taking them in... taking in 2 alcoholic parents and a 15 year old sister that still has tantrums... not to mention the guns that Obama is coming any day now to take away from him.Edited by yenmor, : No reason given.

Like I said in my last post, I would describe them like this:

quote:

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I think you're justified in calling anyone anything you'd like. It's your mouth.
I'm fairly confident you're accurately describing the actions you've listed.
I'm also fairly confident you're not describing all their actions, and that they do other things that would certainly not be labelled as white trash.

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I'm sure you and I both do things that can be called white trash.
I'm sure we both do things that go against that label as well.

​

It is extremely rare to find a person (let alone a family) that is one thing all the time. May even be impossible.

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No, just wondering if you'll acknowledge that people aren't ever really black-or-white.

Of course that depends on time and place.