Q & A

Q: Do better arguments change the world?

A: No.

People have no problems embracing realities that do not challenge their happiness or what they think brings happiness. For instance, few people have problems accepting that the earth is round instead of flat. They have no problems accepting DNA and genetics or Ohm's law or even the theory of relativity. But throw Darwin at a creationist, and the story completely changes.

Facts are troubling things because they have the power to completely undo our emotional worlds. This is why better arguments do not change the world. The stamina that fools display in the persistence of their errors will amaze you. It can be disheartening.

The thing people want is vindication. They want the world to know they are or were right. This is a waste of time. Most theists will die never knowing that they truly are dead. That is simply a fact of life. Having them embrace correction while alive makes little difference as I find most atheists are just as shitheaded as Christians. We differ only in our myths and our prejudices.

What we can do is live by what we believe. This will attract others to us forming a tribe. The best example I can give is the tribe of minimalists on the internet who are rejecting the consumerist lifestyle and embracing simpler living. This will not necessarily change the world, but it will change us and make our lives better. This is the essence of individualism. It is enough for you to be different. The rest of the world can go to hell.

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