moleculo
Footballguy
A big problem we have in this country today is groupthink. That's what happens when you only surround yourself with voices that say things you agree with. People with the same background tend to think the same thing and form the same opinions, which only serves to reinforce what they were saying/thinking in the first place. When something happens that is counter to what the group thinks, everyone is shocked.
No one in Charlotte thought the Broncos could beat the Panthers - everyone listened to the same local and national media who were gaga over offense and forgot that defense wins championships. Similarly, no one following the "MSM" or most news blogs thought Trump had a chance because, well, Trump.
Because of the internet, lots of newspapers have gone out of business within the past 10-15 years. The journalists who are still employed are the "best and brightest". The best and brightest all went to the same schools. They look the same. They have similar backgrounds. They have the same thoughts. They read each others articles, which reinforces their own ideas about how the world works. At the end of the day, they all come to the same conclusions. It's as if there are thousands of Anderson Coopers running around, all trying to out-Cooper each other.
The result is that we have lost diversity in journalism. This is compounded by the internet because we have the ability to immerse ourselves in opinions that make us feel good, and we ignore what we don't want to hear. You can get all your news from Breitbart, Drudge, Huffington Post, The Atlantic, etc, and never hear an opinion you disagree with.
This is un-good and makes us all not smartish. IMO, we would all be better served to actively seek out viewpoints that we don't agree with. I say, read Huffington post AND Breitbart. Watch Fox News AND MSNBC. Listen to Limbaugh, read The Atlantic. Pay attention to Mile High Report AND Arrowhead Pride.
Hell, take it a step further and actually talk to people from different walks of life. Seek out people from the opposite side of the aisle and ask them why they think what they think. I'm not saying you have to argue or fight (unless that is what you are into), but ask why they think that way.
Here's a challenge: look at your facebook friends list. How many of your friends list (1) did you go grow up with or currently go to church with vs (2) are completely different and opposite from you? I'm not expecting people to answer, just reflect on how diverse your personal echo chamber is.
This country is great because there are differing opinions and viewpoints, but most folks don't take advantage of that. We as consumers don't, the media doesn't. There is so much more you can learn from someone completely different than you than you can from someone identical to you, but almost no one ever takes advantage. The worst that can happen is you get a little steamed, the best is you gain a new perspective and a deeper understanding of the issues.
No one in Charlotte thought the Broncos could beat the Panthers - everyone listened to the same local and national media who were gaga over offense and forgot that defense wins championships. Similarly, no one following the "MSM" or most news blogs thought Trump had a chance because, well, Trump.
Because of the internet, lots of newspapers have gone out of business within the past 10-15 years. The journalists who are still employed are the "best and brightest". The best and brightest all went to the same schools. They look the same. They have similar backgrounds. They have the same thoughts. They read each others articles, which reinforces their own ideas about how the world works. At the end of the day, they all come to the same conclusions. It's as if there are thousands of Anderson Coopers running around, all trying to out-Cooper each other.
The result is that we have lost diversity in journalism. This is compounded by the internet because we have the ability to immerse ourselves in opinions that make us feel good, and we ignore what we don't want to hear. You can get all your news from Breitbart, Drudge, Huffington Post, The Atlantic, etc, and never hear an opinion you disagree with.
This is un-good and makes us all not smartish. IMO, we would all be better served to actively seek out viewpoints that we don't agree with. I say, read Huffington post AND Breitbart. Watch Fox News AND MSNBC. Listen to Limbaugh, read The Atlantic. Pay attention to Mile High Report AND Arrowhead Pride.
Hell, take it a step further and actually talk to people from different walks of life. Seek out people from the opposite side of the aisle and ask them why they think what they think. I'm not saying you have to argue or fight (unless that is what you are into), but ask why they think that way.
Here's a challenge: look at your facebook friends list. How many of your friends list (1) did you go grow up with or currently go to church with vs (2) are completely different and opposite from you? I'm not expecting people to answer, just reflect on how diverse your personal echo chamber is.
This country is great because there are differing opinions and viewpoints, but most folks don't take advantage of that. We as consumers don't, the media doesn't. There is so much more you can learn from someone completely different than you than you can from someone identical to you, but almost no one ever takes advantage. The worst that can happen is you get a little steamed, the best is you gain a new perspective and a deeper understanding of the issues.
