Finally, An Explanation for Donald Trump

Not to mention most of the people who comment on Globe and Mail articles! Principles of the American Cargo Cult offers some guiding principles to explain the simplistic, causal, and self-centred approaches that often (mis)inform public discourse. Here's a taste:

• Certainty is strength, doubt is weakness: Admitting alternatives is undermining one's own belief; changing one's mind means one has wasted the time spent holding the prior opinion.


• The end supports the explanation of the means: A successful person's explanation of the means of his success is highly credible by the very fact of his success.


• You can succeed by emulating the purported behavior of successful people: To enjoy the success of another, just mimic the rituals he claims to follow.


• There is no long term: Don't miss an opportunity.

And there are a bunch more!

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