We Are Gullible I Tell You!
Anecdote from the web, taken from the newsgroup: rec.humor.funny:
A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.”
And for plenty of good reasons, since:
1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting
2. it is a major component in acid rain
3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state
4. accidental inhalation can kill you
5. it contributes to erosion
6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients
He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.
* Forty-three (43) said yes,
* six (6) were undecided,
* and only one (1) knew that the chemical was water.
The title of his prize winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?”
The conclusion is obvious.
It’s a great cautionary tale. The message is clear and reminds me to think twice before making up my mind about things I hear, even if they come from seemingly credible authorities. The dihydrogen monoxide experiment may be a joke, but the spin in everyday life isn’t, and we, bombarded as we are with information, are at constant risk of being taken for a ride if we don’t exercise some common sense over what we are told. Left or right, conservative or liberal, black or white or grey and in between, it doesn’t matter, everyone has an agenda to push forth. Their words need to be weighed out regardless of persuasion or disposition. But don’t take my word for it. Make up your own minds.
