People with 'woke' beliefs experience higher anxiety and depression

 

From the National Post:

https://nationalpost.com/news/woke-beliefs-linked-to-higher-anxiety-depression

“People with 'woke' beliefs experience higher anxiety and depression: study

The study involved nearly 6,000 participants in Finland, including university faculty, students and the general public”

“Woke” beliefs are associated with increased instances of anxiety and depression according to a new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.

Released earlier this month, the study involved nearly 6,000 participants in Finland, including university faculty, students and the general public. The CSJAS was based on theoretical frameworks from intersectional feminism, critical race theory and queer theory.

Researchers developed a seven-item scale, known as the Critical Social Justice Attitudes Scale (CSJAS), to assess attitudes toward “critical social justice,” defined as systemic injustices affecting various identity groups. The CSJAS evaluates agreement or disagreement with seven statements, with each statement targeting a specific aspect of social justice discourse, including systemic racism, microaggressions and gender identity.

The scale reads as follows:

“If white people have on average a higher level of income than black people, it is because of racism.”

“University reading lists should include fewer white or European authors.”

“Microaggressions should be challenged often and actively.”

“Trans* women who compete with women in sports are not helping women’s rights.”(reverse scored)

“We don’t need to talk more about the color of people’s skin.”

“A white person cannot understand how a black person feels equally well as another black person.”

“A member of a privileged group can adopt features or cultural elements of a less privileged group.” (reverse scored)

For the statements that are “reverse scored,” agreement indicates a stance opposite to what’s written. Reverse scoring allows all answers to be interpreted in the same direction, even when questions are asked in different ways, some positively and some negatively.

The findings revealed that women showed significantly more support for critical social justice propositions than men and overall, such support was less common in Finland than public and media discussions would have one believe.

Being on the political left was found to be more predictive of lower mental well-being than high critical social justice scores alone.

“People who supported left-wing parties and female university students in social sciences, education, and humanities, as well as people with ‘other’ gender, were the most in support of the scale items,” wrote the study authors.

The research aimed to fill the gap in empirical data regarding the prevalence and impact of critical social justice attitudes. The CSJAS scale is intended as a tool for future research, including focusing on populations beyond Finland.

Previous studies have found that varying political ideologies are linked with different social attitudes, ways of thinking and even personality traits. A 2003 study in The Psychological Bulletin found that conservatism is linked to greater fear of death, desire for stability, dogmatism and a craving for order, while being less open to new experiences and less tolerant of uncertainty.

Some studies have found that political activism might contribute to psychological well-being by providing a sense of purpose and community, while others have found that high levels of engagement with social justice issues may contribute to stress and burnout.

Each symptom of the effects of this ideology is solidly rooted in one overwhelming characteristic, viewing the world through an emotional lens rather than through the lens of reason. Should we be surprised then that this hyper emotionality leads to emotional instability? So here is a quick rule of thumb to help you determine if you are dealing with an ideologically possessed person, particularly when a discussion with them may go sideways. The tell is that your interactions with them will be based upon their subjective feelings rather than an appreciation of objective reality. Ethics, epistemology, and ontology be damned, they will project their insecurities onto you then blame you for their reaction to your use of reason. This is how you will know if you're dealing with an emotional three-year-old who is incapable of using reason and demonstrable facts to arrive at informed opinions. Possessed by their emotions they will often go so far as to demand that your arguments be silenced while labelling your viewpoint as dangerous and you hateful for defending it. It's best to avoid these folks if possible but frankly triggering them does afford me with such tremendous pleasure!

So, allow me to expand on these ideas. We are likely in the ideological battle of our lifetime since all the very worst authoritarian ideas of the 20^th Century have come to possess the minds and hearts of a great many in the 21^st Century. Each one of us must be ready, willing, and able to address the ideologically addled ideas of those who are seeking to tear down civil society to destroy peace, order, and good government even as they call this destructiveness social progress.

As for calling these ideological extremists stupid for holding authoritarian beliefs, there were and are many brilliant Communists, Neo-Marxists, Critical Theorists, Postmodernists, and Fascists. It should therefore be obvious that the power of ideological possession is impossible to underestimate since idea pathogens are obviously very attractive to ostensibly intelligent and well-educated people. After all, back in October of 2023 even the UN declared that trans-lesbians are real lesbians too! Emotional madness is on full display along the hallowed halls of the ivy covered towers in the Academy as well as on the floors of legislative assemblies all throughout the Western World. Illiberal and authoritarian ideas have taken hold of our most sacred institutions. And what are Christians doing about it? Very little, for most of them are unaware or do not understand what is coming straight after their Faith!

So let us examine the shift from rational debate to an insistence on emotional rhetoric:

The shift from **debate** to **pure emotional rhetoric** in public discourse has several underlying reasons:

1. **Attention Economy and Sensationalism**:

   - In an era of information overload, attention is scarce.

   - Emotional content tends to grab attention more effectively than reasoned debate.

   - Media outlets and social platforms prioritize sensationalism to maximize engagement.

2. **Confirmation Bias and Echo Chambers**:

   - People seek information that confirms their existing beliefs.

   - Emotional appeals resonate with preconceived notions, reinforcing echo chambers.

   - Debates, on the other hand, challenge these biases and may be less appealing.

3. **Polarization and Tribalism**:

   - Society is increasingly polarized along ideological lines.

   - Emotional rhetoric reinforces group identity and loyalty.

   - Debates risk exposing nuance and common ground, threatening tribal cohesion.

4. **Cognitive Biases**:

   - Humans are prone to cognitive biases, such as the **affect heuristic** (relying on emotions to make judgments).

   - Emotional appeals exploit these biases, making them more persuasive than logical arguments.

5. **Sound Bites and Simplification**:

   - Emotional messages fit well into sound bites and social media posts.

   - Debates require nuanced explanations, which may not fit the format.

6. **Emotional Connection and Persuasion**:

   - Emotions create a stronger connection with audiences.

   - People remember how a message made them feel more than its logical details.

   - Rhetoric leverages this emotional impact for persuasion.

7. **Lack of Critical Thinking Education**:

   - Education systems often prioritize memorization over critical thinking.

   - Emotional appeals require less cognitive effort than dissecting complex arguments.

8. **Political Strategy and Populism**:

   - Populist leaders thrive on emotional rhetoric.

   - Debates can expose weaknesses or inconsistencies, so emotional appeals are safer politically.

9. **Media Consumption Habits**:

   - Quick consumption of news and information favors emotional sound bites.

   - Debates demand time and attention, which modern audiences may not invest.

10. **Loss of Civility and Respect**:

    - Debates can devolve into personal attacks.

    - Emotional rhetoric avoids confrontation and maintains a veneer of civility.

In summary, while emotional rhetoric has its advantages in capturing attention and shaping public opinion, it comes at the cost of reasoned discourse and critical thinking. Striking a balance between emotional appeal and rational debate remains a challenge in today's communication landscape¹²³.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 2024-03-20

(1) Python User Input - W3Schools. https://www.w3schools.com/python/python_user_input.asp.

(2) How to Handle User Input in Python: A Step-by-Step Guide. https://lset.uk/learning-resources/how-to-handle-user-input-in-python-a-step-by-step-guide/.

(3) User input methods and controls - Learn web development | MDN. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Forms/User_input_methods.

(4) Java User Input (Scanner class) - W3Schools. https://www.w3schools.com/java/java_user_input.asp.

(5) How to Take User Input in Python - PythonForBeginners.com. https://www.pythonforbeginners.com/basics/how-to-take-user-input-in-python.

Summing up our current dilemma:

Evolutionary psychologist, author and podcaster Dr. Gad Saad brilliantly sums up our struggle against these damaging ideas, “I'm trying to avoid that which has been tried in previous societies and failed. I'm trying to make people understand the anomalous reality that the West was able to create. I say "anomalous" because, in the history of human civilization, it's a complete outlier that we've had the types of societies that we're able to create in the West. This is not the default value. So, to have found the magic recipe where freedom of conscience and freedom of speech and the scientific method and all the other wonderful things that the West has offered us, are allowed to flourish, and to now see it being thrown away under the cloak of the progressive robe is very galling to me. It upsets me, it angers me. I become righteously, I think, indignant. So, I'm trying to offer people, if I may use the terms, a vaccine against the brain parasites that have absolutely infected the minds of Westerners.”

Whether it be cultural relativism, social constructivism, postmodernism, critical theory, identity politics, non-binary gender theory, the Trudeau government is possessed by all these ideas and none of them are founded in reality. The demand on the part of those who feel that idea pathogens ought to be considered as reality has replaced that which is real. Society has gone from believing in “what is” to believing in “what ought to be”, as it were. To say that it is impossible to build a functional society on this type of delusion is to say almost nothing. But it goes far beyond Trudeau and his government since the idea pathogens that Dr. Saad has warned us about now infect vast swathes of the population. So much so that Canada is no longer divided on political lines. Rather Canada, indeed the broader Western World, is now divided between what is known to be scientifically and biologically possible versus the delusional feelings of the many who have come to demand that we acknowledge that their fantasies are in fact realities. I mean, what could go wrong? Well, we are presently finding that out even as the evidence pours in that this deck of cards is collapsing in upon itself. Just as the Finnish study clearly demonstrated, for we have managed to create a generation of anxious depressed nihilists! If you think this is progress then you too have lost your freakin’ mind!

Romans 1:18: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”