I'm not sure this hypothesis is correct. IME propensity to be conned doesn't really have much to do with community values but does have a lot to do with education, time preference, and intelligence (though they're certainly not proof against it).
Nobody actually believes that the president didn't inhale or fuck Paula Jones do they?
Nobody believes it. The important thing there is that the president kowtowed to prevailing norms by disavowing his behavior, even if his excuses are obviously bullshit.
IME, propensity to be conned is correlated with exposure to cons, and has no relation to education, time preference, or intelligence. It's just about having the mental habit of double checking "Could this person be conning me?" and a willingness to accept when the indicators are yes.
I agree, but I think the word is skepticism. You don't need to be intelligent or educated to be skeptic. It's just a mental muscle: the more you doubt claims, the easier it becomes to doubt claims.
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Notes -
I'm not sure this hypothesis is correct. IME propensity to be conned doesn't really have much to do with community values but does have a lot to do with education, time preference, and intelligence (though they're certainly not proof against it).
Nobody believes it. The important thing there is that the president kowtowed to prevailing norms by disavowing his behavior, even if his excuses are obviously bullshit.
IME, propensity to be conned is correlated with exposure to cons, and has no relation to education, time preference, or intelligence. It's just about having the mental habit of double checking "Could this person be conning me?" and a willingness to accept when the indicators are yes.
I agree, but I think the word is skepticism. You don't need to be intelligent or educated to be skeptic. It's just a mental muscle: the more you doubt claims, the easier it becomes to doubt claims.
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