Special for FQ and Onrecess

[tombogan03884]

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_07_19-2009_07_25.shtml#1248522246


 From an [1]item by Nicholas Wade on conformity at NYT's TierneyLab:

     Academics, like teenagers, sometimes dont have any sense
     regarding the degree to which they are conformists.

     So says Thomas Bouchard, the Minnesota psychologist known for his
     study of twins raised apart, in a retirement interview with
     Constance Holden in the journal Science.

     Journalists, of course, are conformists too. So are most other
     professions. Theres a powerful human urge to belong inside the
     group, to think like the majority, to lick the bosses shoes, and to
     win the groups approval by trashing dissenters.

     The strength of this urge to conform can silence even those who
     have good reason to think the majority is wrong. You âre an expert
     because all your peers recognize you as such. But if you start to
     get too far out of line with what your peers believe, they will
     look at you askance and start to withdraw the informal title of
     expert they have implicitly bestowed on you. Then youâll bear the
     less comfortable label of maverick, which is only a few stops
     short of scapegoat or pariah.

References

   1. http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/researcher-condemns-conformity-among-his-peers/?ref=instapundit
   2. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/27

[ericire12]

[tombogan03884]

  Who ?  Me ? 

[Rastus]

No, no, no, no, no Tom.  You are all wrong, just like the article.

Journalists are special.  They are enlightened.  They are above it all.  Psychology does not apply to Journalists.

Journalists are the disciples of liberty, freedom and truth.  How dare you impugn a journalist?

Everyone knows Journalists are professionals, even though there is no licensing program for them like other professionals to confirm minimum standards of competency and ethics.  They don't need it because they are different by virtue of superior wisdom....just because they are, OK?

Geez Tom, you can't believe everything you read.  

And besides, what does a psychologist know?  He had to pass some kind of test to be able to call himself a psychologist and prove his minimum competency....obviously people who call themselves professionals who need licensing are less capable then the hallowed journalist who need no such oversight.

[tombogan03884]

No, no, no, no, no Tom.  You are all wrong, just like the article.

Journalists are special.  They are enlightened.  They are above it all.  Psychology does not apply to Journalists.

Journalists are the disciples of liberty, freedom and truth.  How dare you impugn a journalist?

Everyone knows Journalists are professionals, even though there is no licensing program for them like other professionals to confirm minimum standards of competency and ethics.  They don't need it because they are different by virtue of superior wisdom....just because they are, OK?

Geez Tom, you can't believe everything you read.   

And besides, what does a psychologist know?  He had to pass some kind of test to be able to call himself a psychologist and prove his minimum competency....obviously people who call themselves professionals who need licensing are less capable then the hallowed journalist who need no such oversight.

Two words, Jason Blair

http://www.pjtv.com/video/Roger_L_Simon%3A_Talking_Through_My_Hat/Burning_Down_The_New_York_Times_in_Three_Acts__Act_I%3A_All_The_News_That%27s_%22Fit%22/1977/

[Sponsor]

[alfsauve]

{snip}
Everyone knows Journalists politicians are professionals, even though there is no licensing program for them like other professionals to confirm minimum standards of competency and ethics.  They don't need it because they are different by virtue of superior wisdom....j
{more snip}

And besides, what does a psychologist know?  He had to pass some kind of test to be able to call himself a psychologist and prove his minimum competency....obviously people who call themselves professionals who need licensing are less capable then the hallowed journalist politician who need no such oversight.

Hmmm.   Made some changes and it reads about the same

[tombogan03884]

http://www.pjtv.com/video/AlfonZo_Rachel_Presents%3A_ZoNation/Olbermann_Loses_His_Head%3A_Is_He_As_Insane_As_a_Terrorist%3F_Take_the_Quiz_(WARNING_GRAPHIC_IMAGES)/2119/

http://www.pjtv.com/video/AlfonZo_Rachel_Presents%3A_ZoNation/Dr_AlfonZo_Goes_Inside_Janeane_Garofalo%27s_Brain/2142/

http://www.pjtv.com/video/AlfonZo_Rachel_Presents%3A_ZoNation/ObamaCare%3A_An_Rx_for_Reform_or_a_Cancer_for_our_Economy%3F_/2212/

http://www.pjtv.com/video/Klavan_on_Culture/__Barack_Obama%2C_Talking_Crap/2214/

[m25operator]

I hope Asfonzo gets his own show, maybe on fox, but even better, primetime. He makes too much sense, kind of the anti thesis to Bill Maher. I would love those to on the same show.

Oberman, how not to be a journalist, and would like to meet him in a dark alley. Of course he probably has guards, but I don't know that.

[onrecess]

That isn't news to me. Doesn't every teacher believe in teaching kids to save/worship the earth, recycle, etc, etc. People in groups end to conform. It is obvious when you hear Geography and history professors say most people thought the earth was flat. Well, except anyone who stood on a plain or sailed a mile offshore. Science is pretty much totally resistant to new explanations. Look at people on forums. They feel they must conform and everyone else must too. Scary when new or different ideas show up. Heck, In some forums I've even been threatened.  I thought you were someone who fell into the, "Theres a powerful human urge to belong inside the
     group, to think like the majority, to lick the bosses shoes, and to
     win the groups approval by trashing dissenters."
Now you post how that behavior is explained.
I assume this is some trick to lead me to claim, what? That I am above typical human behavior? Sorry, I refuse to dress the part, teach crap I don't do (like recycling), I ride a big bike, I have guns and shoot them often, and for all this individualism I also conform in the million little ways we all do daily... Oh, I ride a Roadstar, not a hog like every other mid life crisis balding/greying guy. Of course that is ofset by my Vette conv, pretty much the poster vehickle (sic).
Not many here bucking the old majority opinion or expressing support for alternative views, huh?
Don't concern yourselves. I'll happily stay to the gun forums and leave the majority to comfort themselves without any strong dissent.
I'm getting bored with the total lack of an argument here (I waited in vain for the post showing how Gate's behavior, while boorish, violated the peace provision) . I only came back this time to get the site of a grip maker and got sucked in. I'll be at the range, enjoying my latest toy.  
This thread is the first researched and fact based ANYTHING I've seen. Thanks for that, anyway.

[1911 Junkie]

Don't let the door hit you in the ass, Tom.