Thread by @JeffreyASachs

Every time I post a new study showing that university indoctrination does not happen (and there's usually one every 2-3 months), I get the same stubbornly dismissive range of responses. People just don't want to believe it. They refuse.

I don't have a long thread on this. I'm just very frustrated by the phenomenon, especially since it typically comes from people who've built their online personas around being fact-driven, hyper rational skeptics.

Most of them just say "Well, that wasn't my experience," or "Oh, academic proves academics are great, how persuasive! HAHA", which I get. A few also make vague science-esque sounds about sample size, constructs, control groups, etc. But there's never any substance to it.

My charitable interpretation is that these people are coming to the topic from a place of great hurt and anger. That they felt personally bullied or alienated at university. And so I try not to take it too personally. But I wonder how to get through to them. Is it even possible?

And given the sorry state of public opinion, the widespread belief that brainwashing happens and professors are monsters, I worry. I worry a lot. If the very best evidence available can't change a person's mind, I don't know what to do. It's scary.

In the spirit of conciliation, let me also just say that the *theory* of indoctrination makes total sense. Just look at the bare facts: Profs are overwhelmingly liberal; their job is to persuade you of certain facts and ideas; grads are more liberal than the general pop. It fits.

So I don't begrudge anyone not acquainted with the data for believing it. It's a totally plausible argument. It just happens to not be true, and I suspect the reason people can't accept that is because they don't appreciate how incredibly hard it is to change a person's politics.

Anyway, if you're interested, here's my level best to explain the social science on the topic.

arcdigital.media/no-professors-…

And here's the new study that prompted these ruminations.

https://twitter.com/LoganRStrother/status/1341135109278318594