When we are young, we often do foolish things. And when we’re old… well, we still sometimes do foolish things. I’ve got a few great stories to tell. I bet you do too.
But why, after we’ve grown up and supposedly gotten smart, do we do these foolish things? Researchers tell us it’s often because of overconfidence. We simply think we can or should because it makes us happy, and we’re so confident in our “rightness” and desire for our own happiness that we just make the leap. Another possible reason we do foolish things is the age-old concept of “peer pressure.” Even if we know better, sometimes our desire to please our friends or those we want to like us, wins the day. Some people simply would rather be well-liked than be right.
Now, doesn’t that sound familiar in today’s political climate? Look what we’ve done to ourselves in the way we talk about policies that impact Americans. Objective truth and reality are often obscured by our desire to fit in among our friends. It’s true of leaders in both major political parties. Just look at the way most votes are cast in Washington. They’re almost exclusively “party line” votes these days. Is that really what people believe when they vote? Or are they just trying to fit in with the crowd? I’ll let you come to your own conclusions on that one.
