"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it."
Henry Ford
"Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."
-John F. Kennedy
"The most fundamental attack on freedom is the attack on critical thinking skills."
-Travis Nichols
The masses' lack of critical thinking will continually crumble our society from the inside.
This has been happening for a while. 2020 is just one of those unforeseen outcropping of things that have been building for years.
You and I aren't going to change this. I don't think anyone will change it; it will collapse and be rebuilt, as all societies have done for generations.
The select few that might be willing to speak up and share unpopular ideas WILL NOT change the tide. As one that desperately wants to help, I realize this is the case.
I'll keep doing what I can, but it still sucks.
What I've come to realize is the divide between those that think for themselves and those that think what they are told to think is ever-widening.
Polarization happens because humans are tribal creatures. We can see this byproduct of our ancestral nature everywhere.
Healthy humans vs. sick humans are further polarizing to the extremes (healthy getting healthier and sick getting sicker).
The gap between the wealthy and everyone else is further polarizing to the extremes.
Critical thinkers vs. non-critical thinkers are further polarizing to the extremes.
The political left vs. the right is further polarizing to the extremes.
The powerful vs. everyone else is further polarizing to the extremes.
The curiously intelligent and skeptical vs. those that blindly accept what they are told is further polarizing to the extremes.
All I can do is hope to help as many individuals as possible.
If I can help you think a little bit better, the implications for your personal life are life-changing.
Thus, an article like this is meant to get you a bit closer to the self-aware, critical thinking end of the spectrum.
You are then more likely to lead by example and influence people around you. If this happens enough, it could very much help stymy some of the growing divide in our modern society.
As it goes with everything in life, the most important thing is for the individual to take personal responsibility for his or her life.
That's all we can do.
The Stoics knew this 2000 years ago—there's a reason that Stoicism has made a resurgence in recent years... it's more needed than ever.