@HebrideanHecate @TriptychTwinsRidesAgain I have a few theories.

People like to outsource their thinking, because thinking is hard and time consuming. It's also not taught very much, so people don't know how to do it (see how many stupid arguments are made for *trans* which people *can't* or didn't refute).

People don't like to have to change their minds or admit mistakes because we reward *being right and perfect* rather than the process of decision making (look how we like to knock people off pedestals or bemoan U turns).

We live in a culture of credentialism and qualifications, many of which mean jack shit, but people still defer to them regardless. So people feel uneasy about questioning *authority* (and look how that turned out with Whitty, Vallance et al).

People are essentially kind, so they will go along with anything that makes them look kind, even if it isn't. They fail to notice the bad faith actors who will exploit this (unfettered illegal immigration anyone?).

There will always be people who love to boss people around, especially in the name of *for their own good* and I find it scary how few people are prepared to tell them to either mind their own or just fuck off.