G + W #1: Apocalyptic Theories and Short-Term Thinking

[GStolyarovII]

@umhalil Interesting thought here. We will try to address it in a subsequent broadcast, as it would be best discussed via a more detailed analysis.

[TimothyBragan]

What about the dollar collapsing in 2012? It'd be the end of the world for a bunch of people.

[GStolyarovII]

@TimothyBragan A dollar collapse would cause a lot of suffering, certainly (inflation is terrible in all respects), but it would not necessarily end lives -- especially of those determined enough to persevere through the crisis. My family lived through a circa-1000%-per-year hyperinflation in Belarus in the early 1990s, when virtually all savings were wiped out rapidly. It was certainly difficult, but it is far from the end of the world if one has enough tangible property.

[patriot4220]

@GStolyarovII Once again we have a person who thinks they are educated talking about something based on very little "learning". A colapse of the US dollar is nothing like any other currency. If the US dollar goes into collapse or the US defaults the world will be forced into to two to three decade depression. The US dollar is the world reserve currency. End of the world theories are based on the simple "FACT" that every thing that starts ends. EVERYTHING.

[eyhexs]

the world ends when you die;

i just hope all the doomsday pandering doesnt become a self fulfilling prophecy at the hands of the believers

[Akatam0t0ma]

While I had my mind boggled by this "end of the world" mentality for a while now, I never actually took the time to study it too deeply. Quite frankly, while we can find psychological causes for virtually any sort of human ignorance(Be it of a religious form or otherwise), I think calling people who persist to adhere to this sort of mentality on their ignorance is going to be the most effective medicine against it on the long run.

[Akatam0t0ma]

But to be frank, I will admit that recalling now the hysteria around the year 2000, and the Bug 2000 hype(Even if it was based on many legitimate concerns), I remember myself kinda being excited at the idea that something terrible might happen to the world at the turn of the millennium. I just thought it might make things far more interesting.

[Akatam0t0ma]

But then, I was just 12 back then, and that probably stemmed from my own childish fantasies, and adults who aggressively adhere to such mentality really cannot excuse themselves with that. However, I do wonder if on the long run, the amount of falsification of "end of the world" predictions combined with the rapid spread of information in our age, will eventually cause the ultimate demise of this mentality. I can only hope so.

[llamalord111]

The answer to why there are so many end of the world predictions is very simple.  Ignorance, there will never be a shortage of people willing to listen to whoever shouts the loudest.

[GStolyarovII]

@llamalord111 There is certainly a lot of ignorance entailed in apocalyptic predictions. In fact, I think that your comment and our theory go hand in hand; because of the misguided allure of apocalyptic thinking, many people ignore reason and evidence and fall for the "prophets" who propagate it.

[patriot4220]

@llamalord111 Only ignorant people believe the world will never end. Anything that has a beggining has an end. Speculation on that end is the basis of the human condition. Saying it wont happen is IGNORANT.