Why are so many bad, harmful, and false ideas so persistent?
Maybe it’s because they get repeated so many times.
Think of it this way, there’s a direct relationship between the amount of times an idea has been repeated in the past year and the amount of people who believe it. No matter how false or ridiculous it is.
Like, you know all those people who believe that Shaq and Andre the Giant are actually the same person in two disguises? No? Well, that’s probably cause I just made that up and it hasn’t been repeated. But if enough people pass it on, it’s sure to pick up some believers. It’s not that harmful of an idea, unless maybe you’re Shaq, but imagine how this works for worse ideas.
James Clear says that silence is death for any idea. “An idea that is never spoken or written down dies with the person who conceived it. Ideas can only be remembered when they are repeated. They can only be believed when they are repeated.” I think there are a lot of harmful thinkers who have gained a large platform because their opponents kept ruminating on terrible things they said.
There’s a time and place for addressing false and harmful ideas, but this concept has informed the way I do.
I try to avoid attacking an idea in a way that gives it more attention. Instead, I try to do so in a way that communicates what my boundaries are and that I’m sticking up for people who may be harmed by such an idea. And I’ll try to do that in a personal, rather than public way, whenever possible.
I also try to focus more on feeding good ideas. The more an idea is repeated, the more it is believed. This applies to good ideas, empathetic storytelling, creative problem solving, and prophetic imagination as well. I forget who said the quote: the goal of the artist is to make a revolution irresistible, but it’s kinda like that. (Edit: it’s Toni Cade Bambara!)
Creatives, storytellers, and artists have a special role to play during a time of widespread misinformation. It’s to share the truth. To share good ideas. And to share them beautifully. Again and again.
Break Bad Ideas
