“As well as making the point that smart people can also hold silly beliefs, [Michael Shermer] actually put forward the idea that, more than being also susceptible, smart people are often more of a problem when it comes to believing silly things because they’re better at rationalising those silly beliefs. If you hold an idea, whether it be good or bad, if you have intellectual ability, if you have rhetoric ability and argumentative ability, you’re able to convince yourself a lot more easily of the bad ideas that you hold. There are certain individuals who exist who I am certain could argue that the moon does not exist and I’d probably believe them, because they’re just that good. I’m sure most people have somebody they could think of who’s just that good at talking, good at convincing people of things, that they could do a similar feat. But of course this is the problem, and this is why it’s particularly dangerous when smart people believe silly things.” – Alex O’Connor

“I think highly enough of you to suggest that you can do better. You have the capacity to reach the moral standard that your intelligence prescribes.” – Alex O’Connor, It’s Time To Go Vegan speech, 2019

“(individual action) is not a distraction from systemic change — it fuels it.”

woah, thats a good quote to use in the near future