androit, if you can show me data on no-harm 30-50% cutbacks in other sectors, I’m all ears.

What I’ve always been curious about is why single out that sector of the economy? What sector couldn’t be pruned back 30-50%? At the individual level, what goods or services?

Manufacturing, defense, finance, housing? Agriculture, maybe. (Hell, probably not.)

Thank you for the clarification. I suppose I should have been sharp enough to see the association. My major in college was psychology, so I am painfully aware that it is not a science (nor is social science or economics). How does one justify placing such importance on this unscientific construal approach to human behavior, while at the same time eschewing similar conduct by the medical profession when it uses perceived patterns of human response (to disease, treatments, etc.), not necessarily reflecting true scientific thought, in its interaction with patients?

the near-far bias is Robin’s nickname for Construal level theory, which is a general theory of how the mind operates over time or within frames. essentially, thinking of psychologically near or distant concepts increases the probability of other psychologically near or distant concepts influencing future thoughts, which will lead unavoidably to various types of bias. the attribution bias you’ve cited is an example one such type.

I think you may have it backwards. Intellectual attribution bias is not an “example” of your near-far concept; “near-far” is an example of IAB. Interestingly, IAB makes this less apparent to you. And since you are very smart, no one is likely to convince you otherwise, just as Shermer observes.

For example, imagine I am well-educated and you are not, and I argue for the value of education and you argue against it. I find it easy to dismiss your view as denigrating something you do not have, but I do not think it plausible I am mainly just celebrating something I do have. I can see all these detailed reasons for my belief, and I cannot easily see and appreciate your detailed reasons.

This would be a perfect scenario to explain what intellectual attribution bias means. The fact that someone else noticed this reason for disagreement long ago does not diminish the importance of your adaptation; it’s’ simply not the “Hanson Theory”.

retired, yes that is an example,

Vladimir, I agree that it is better to understand why a position is good, but that doesn’t excuse you from taking the best position you know of, whether you understand why or not.