What's wrong with politics, mainstream media, democracy and everything else.

Ok. So, what's wrong with the picture to my left? Look closely.

Give up? THERE'S A DOUCHEBAG IN IT.

What's more, he's in the picture thanks to the lovely work of people like the ones sitting next to you right now: other douchebags. The thing is, they prefer a can-do,damn-the-torpedoes,good old american boy over someone, or rather, anyone with the slightest amount of brains,intelligence or expertise. Here's the science:

EVER wondered why the pundits who failed to predict the current economic crisis are still being paid for their opinions? It's a consequence of the way human psychology works in a free market, according to a study of how people's self-confidence affects the way others respond to their advice. The research, by Don Moore of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shows that we prefer advice from a confident source, even to the point that we are willing to forgive a poor track record. Moore argues that in competitive situations, this can drive those offering advice to increasingly exaggerate how sure they are. And it spells bad news for scientists who try to be honest about gaps in their knowledge.

...

So if honest advice risks being ignored, what is a responsible scientific adviser to do? "It's an excellent question, and I'm not sure that I have a great answer," says Moore.

Actually no. If someone asks a question you don't have an answer, you respond by saying,

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, NEWBIE. I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. U.S.A!! U.S.A!!!"


After all, it's what they want to hear.

New Scientist: Humans prefer cockiness to expertise.*









* Correlations exposed may be subject to cultural variation, though they don't point that out in the article I point to. In other words, AMERICANS MAY BE THE ONLY ONES TO HAVE THIS STUPID ATTITUDE. I fucking hope so, because otherwise I'll have to stop hoping all together.