this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2024
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[–] riodoro1 28 points 2 weeks ago (20 children)

I read somewhere that around ⅓ of people (at least in my country) are effectively illiterate. They can read but they can’t really understand what they read. They can’t solve logical tasks and would fail for example to take medication according to written instruction. It does explain a lot.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (17 children)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (16 children)

This is a way broader phenomenon than just the US, though granted the US educational system might skew things a bit in a negative direction versus most other supposedly "Developed" Nations.

IMHO, in general very few people have to really think things through in their life or work and most people can live life in what's pretty much an auto-pilot of habits most of which were picked up in childhood, teen and early adult years, and such people simply don't have any "training" on figuring complex things out by themselves and will have trouble understanding complex subjects.

Further, the instructions for advanced domain stuff (for example Medicine and some kinds of Tech) are often riddled with domain specific language that people without a broader vocabulary won't understand.

[–] avieshek 0 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Which other country believes Earth is Flat?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

That's a tiny minority of people and an ultra-specific belief.

I would say that the prevalence of the belief in fairy stories being real (aka Religions, Cults and so on) would be a pretty good indication of just how common and widely spread the Comprehension Handicapped are all over the World.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I think the modern flat earth idea started in the UK but I don't actually know of anyone who believes it, it's still very much a "village idiot" thing.

[–] victorz 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

For the love of God, and all that is holy...

[–] ettyblatant 2 points 2 weeks ago

Everybody dance!

[–] victorz 1 points 2 weeks ago

1 guy 1 jar is brought to mind. 🥲

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

The ones I know have been born-agains.

Which kinda tracks.

If believing one thing with every fibre of your being is your new foundation stone, dismissing another belief that doesn't contradict your first one can become tricky.

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