It's been a long time since I don't write here. The
year has started with my new job and the many many paper deadlines. It
has kept me busy enough not to follow the news a lot, which is generally
a good thing, because seeing what is happening in the world is usually a
source of depression and disappointment for me.
Nevertheless
I am Brazilian, and the latest
protests in the country could not have
passed by unnoticed. Specially because my parents, the most apolitical
people I know, participated on it.
But this will not be
yet another text on the political situation in Brazil, no no. We have
plenty of that. What is most interesting, for me at least, is to observe
people and their reaction. Since the elections in November I realised
how irrational this opinion business can get. People immersed in the
situation do not seem to realize it, but they do get really
closed-minded and irrational when they decide on an opinion, no matter
how rational they think their opinion might be. Everybody thinks "I
cannot believe they can't see it clearly like I do!". But there is the
paradox right there: *everybody* thinks that, no matter how different
their "clear" thoughts are. And since a discussion between irrationals
is a lot of work, they group together with people of the same opinion.
They refuse to see (or listen, or try to understand) the "others", and
suddenly everyone around them agree, which makes them think they are
even "more right". That is the pitfall...
This phenomenon
is crystal clear on social networks. There are extremist posts
pro-government, with many likes and supportive comments. There are also
extremist posts against government, with many likes and supportive
comments. Why don't these people talk? I am sure they are all
intelligent and reasonable, and they can both find the strong and weak
points of each side (or a third and better side). But they just don't.
On a failed attempt to make two opposing party relatives talk during the
elections last year, I ended up as being the one bringing adversity,
trying to turn them against each other. I honestly just wanted to see
the beliefs questioned and put to test. (Something at which political
debates failed horribly).