Cav's Place

A recent article, citing some studies that have been around for some time, is giving me the opportunity to get back to this issue. I’m obviously just proving their point, looking for information that backs up my existing beliefs on the matter, while those who believe differently will just ignore all this, as expected. So there’s no real point in writing it, but then again there’s little real point in writing or saying anything, yet that never stopped me.
The fact that people filter the information they receive through their existing beliefs should be quite obvious to anyone who cares to look for it. But that’s just the issue, as those who believe that education and information will solve all the world’s problems because people who have the correct facts will also make the right decisions are no more likely to look for such data, or even accept it if it’s provided to them, than the ones they’re trying to educate are likely to seriously look at the facts they’re provided with. So we’ll keep having a lot of resources wasted on education and awareness campaigns that will fall on deaf ears instead of using those resources to do things that’d actually be effective in getting us closer to reaching our goals…

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying that education and awareness campaigns are always a waste of resources, but only that they’re wasted on the people who already have an opinion regarding the matter at hand. Such efforts can produce good results if they’re aimed at people who really were unaware of the issue being discussed, or at least never gave it enough thought to form an opinion. But they will often backfire if people who already have a conflicting viewpoint are exposed to them, as they’ll most likely just look for flaws in the arguments, or even make some up if none are found, and possibly also blame it all on some conspiracy and therefore become even more determined to fight against the viewpoint supported by the campaign in question and reduce its believability in the future.
So what I am saying is that such campaigns are usually a poor use of resources in “developed” areas, as the people living there already have access to information if they wish it and are likely to have already reached their own conclusions, whether or not they make any sense. As for the other areas, studies should be carried out before the start of such a campaign, to determine the beliefs of the people living there and exactly what kind of information, misinformation and propaganda they have been exposed to. If they seem to have beliefs that go against the facts you’re trying to inform them about, or if they have already been exposed to the correct facts, regardless of the results, there’s little point in trying and your resources are better used elsewhere. If, however, you can find a group of people who do not have clear beliefs regarding the matter at hand, and especially if they have not been exposed to much information, whether correct or incorrect, about it either, then such a campaign could prove very useful.

But that only applies to awareness campaigns and education efforts aimed at making people realize the necessity of certain measures and actions. There is, however, a very different way in which education and information campaigns can be used when it comes to people who are already aware of the issues in question and who already believe in the measures and actions you support. I’m talking about using such campaigns to teach those people the best ways to act on their beliefs, as all too often they’ll be confused when it comes to the paths to take or likely even say that nothing can be done, especially when the society they live in generally encourages a model that opposes these beliefs. So, at that point, the best thing to do is stop wasting your resources on attempts to convince more people that you’re right and focus on those who already think so, helping them help you.
To be even more specific, it doesn’t matter why those people believe in the measures and actions you support. Though this could cause problems in the long run, it may not even matter whether or not they believe the issues you are concerned about are real as long as, for whatever reason, they agree to the practical part. It’s simply a matter of making use of existing support and helping each other for as long as possible or desirable, moving from talk to action as quickly and decisively as possible in the areas where you actually have a chance to make a difference in a relatively short amount of time. After all, it’s small groups of determined individuals that change the world, so you just need to find or form such a group and ensure its efficiency.

It really should be obvious that you can’t usually change people’s minds, especially when it comes to the truly important issues. So, when you have big plans and limited resources, you shouldn’t waste them on such attempts, but instead focus on what could actually yield results. That may also mean informing those who have not been previously exposed to the issue, or at least have not yet formed a clear opinion about it, but what it certainly means is helping those who already agree to act. It’s simply a matter of efficiency, of doing what actually works, or what at least has a reasonable chance of working, instead of what just sounds good or appealing.
People are far less rational than they believe themselves to be, not to mention that intelligence usually far surpasses wisdom even among those who could really be considered intelligent. These facts are used by those who currently hold the reins of our society for their own benefit, but they could be used equally well by the “good guys” for the benefit of the causes they fight for. It just requires no longer assuming that people will make the correct decisions if given the correct information. Seriously, most don’t and likely never will.