Written by: Vickie Sullivan | February 02, 2021
Why Bad Ideas Stick Around
Have you ever read a social media post from someone advocating an idea and thought, “Wait a minute. That was debunked a long time ago.” Then you responded with information/research that fact-checked the concept. How did that work out? Probably not as you expected—or hoped.
Those situations happen frequently, and it’s why I didn’t share a Bloomberg article about trickle-down economics on my Facebook page.
The study Bloomberg wrote about prompts a bigger question for thought leaders, though: Why do bad ideas — even after being proven wrong — persist?
2 Reasons Why Bad Ideas Stick Around
Using this perspective as an example, here are two big reasons why people continue to spread bad ideas:
• They make sense at 30,000 feet. We often mistake correlation for causation. In this case, when middle-class jobs increase, it’s easier to give trickle-down economics the credit. People who have those jobs are now married to this idea because they’ve linked to two together. Which then makes the concept hard to debunk because we are now competing with someone’s experience.
• It serves a purpose. Behind every bad idea, there are folks who benefit from it. And if those groups have power, they can set the message machine on blast. That motivation drives infrastructure to not only make the lie feel like the truth, but it also wards off any opposition with immediate attacks. (That is why I always check the agendas of both the advocates and the opposition.)
Listen: How to Debunk Bad Ideas
Bad ideas stick around for a reason. When we move past the logic and learn more about why they are so popular, we can open the door for conversations that can change minds and hearts. Sadly, truth and facts are no match for emotional attachment.
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