Hypocritical rule-makers bad for our mental health

Pitkin County and other surrounding counties in the Roaring Fork Valley are moving back from Red to Orange levels for COVID-19. This aligns with trends across the country. New York and many other major cities are starting to re-open as well, albeit at limited levels.

Unfortunately, while COVID-19 is becoming less of a threat around the world, the threat of Self-Righteous Confirmation Bias (SRCB-20) is blowing past Red levels to the most severe level: Purple. Two easily identifiable symptoms: cringe-worthy repetition of the term “trust the science” and a blindness to hypocrisy. Often these symptoms occur simultaneously where “trust the science” is used as a cover for current or past hypocrisy. Look no further than our elected (and unelected) leaders across the country, but especially the hot zone of Washington, D.C., where SRCB-20 is even pushing the limits of purple.

Unfortunately, there are real-world repercussions to this hypocrisy and self-righteousness: Suicide rates are increasing and adolescents are now 10 times more likely to die from suicide than COVID-19 (see below). Let that sink in. We are willfully accepting, and many are defending these hypocrites as they enact suicidal policies.

In a world plagued with SRCB-20, when you hear someone shout “trust the science!”, you can pretty much guarantee it is not about science, but actually a flareup where a fact has been presented that undermines a firmly held political position. Below are some links to scientific studies that might cause such flareups:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6945a3.htm

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/147/3/e2020029280

And bookmark Dr. Fauci’s interview in March 2020 on masks to easily present to those shouting “mask up” around town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRa6t_e7dgI&feature=youtu.be

Chase McWhorter

Carbondale