Willful ignorance is a pervasive phenomenon in our society.
People tend to form beliefs based on the beliefs of those around them, and they dismiss any information that doesn't conform to their beliefs.
They accept anything that conforms to their view regardless of truthfulness while putting up psychological barriers to learning and look away from truths that risk upsetting their understanding of how the world works.
I'll give you an example I've just experienced.
Several days ago, I sent an email to my list with the subject "The myth of vaccine-induced herd immunity". If you read it, you will recall that I explained, among other things, why the belief that the pertussis vaccine provides herd immunity is false. (Vaccinated individuals can still carry and spread the bacteria that causes the disease.)
I received a reply to that email from a woman who said she respectfully disagreed with my view. Then she related a story about a friend of hers whose son received the flu shot but died of influenza and asked me to look at this friend's website. She and her friend blame others for not vaccinating. They believe that if others around them had gotten the flu shot, it would have provided herd immunity that would have protected the boy.
Since I hadn't discussed the flu vaccine in my email, I asked her what I had said, specifically, that she was disagreeing with. She then replied to express her belief that people like me who dare to question public vaccine policy are "dangerous" and, to support that view, argued that everyone needs to get the pertussis vaccine because it provides herd immunity for those who cannot get the shot or for whom the shot fails to confer immunity.
I replied to point out that her argument just illustrated that she hadn't bothered to actually read my email before replying to it, as I had already explained precisely why the belief that the pertussis vaccine provides herd immunity is false.
I also then explained that, similarly, her belief that the flu vaccine provides herd immunity is false. Here is what I wrote her in this regard (without the bold emphasis I'm providing here):
As for the flu shot, it's a perfect example of what I mean when I say vaccines don't confer the same kind of immunity. Numerous studies have shown that getting the flu shot every year can actually increase your chances of getting the flu.
How? By what mechanism?
Well, there are hundreds of strains of influenza virus as well as many non-influenza viruses that can cause flu symptoms. The vaccine targets only a small handful of influenza strains. Moreover, the CDC does not know which strain will be most prevalent in any given flu season, so they guess. Some years they get it right and the vaccine manufactured matches the strain most in circulation. Some years they get it wrong and the vaccine fails to protect.
When one is naturally exposed to the virus, on the other hand, the immunity that develops confers protection not only against that specific strain, but other strains as well. Whereas the vaccine is designed to stimulate an antibody response (humoral immunity), natural infection confers a more robust cell-mediated immunity. The result is that by vaccinating every year, you are actually increasing the likelihood of getting the flu because you are robbing yourself of the development of that more robust immunity, which, unlike the vaccine, would provide protection against other strains of influenza, as well.
Contrary to your previously expressed belief, there is no such thing as herd immunity when it comes to the flu vaccine.
If you do still wish to get the flu shot annually, I advise doing this at your doctor's office rather than at Walmart or some pharmacy. This is because the latter places mostly use the multi-dose influenza vaccine. Ask your doctor for the single-dose version. The reason is because the multi-dose version contains the preservative Thimerosal, which is 50% mercury by weight, the most toxic non-radioactive substance known to man and a potent neurotoxin.Mercury from vaccines can pass through the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain. There's no sense exposing yourself to this toxin when a Thimerosal-free version is available (be aware, however, that even so-called "mercury-free" vaccines can still contain trace amounts of mercury from the manufacturing process).
She then wrote me to complain that I was arguing with her even though she had provided "reasonable examples" of why she disagreed with me. She also suggested I was being hypocritical for observing how she hadn't actually read my initial email before replying when I hadn't read her friend's website as she had requested.
Then she said she would unsubscribe from my newsletter because she didn't want to hear the kind of information about vaccines I was presenting to her.
Here is the response I sent her (bold emphasis in original):
No, you did not give me reasonable examples of why you disagree with my view.
On the contrary, you expressed your belief that the pertussis vaccine provides herd immunity despite the fact I had already explained to you (in that original email you received) that that is false. The pertussis vaccine does not provide herd immunity. That is not an opinion. It is a scientific fact.
You also expressed your belief that the influenza vaccine provides herd immunity against developing flu symptoms. It does not. That is also not an opinion, but a scientific fact. Moreover, studies have shown that getting the flu shot can actually increase your risk of getting the flu, for the reasons I've explained.
You did provide me with a link. It is true I did not click to read it. That is because I was interested in your view and what you had to say about it, not your friend's view.
Also, whereas you were expressing your view that the flu vaccine is safe and effective, your friend's story on its face actually just shows that the vaccine is ineffective. And I have already explained to you why it is ineffective.
Additionally, you made it clear that your friend shares your belief that the flu shot provides herd immunity, so I was aware without having to click the link that your friend was misinformed and unfamiliar with the science.
Finally, whereas you evidently did not actually read that email of mine (at least not carefully) before replying to it, I did show you the courtesy and respect of taking the time to carefully read your email before replying to you. And I addressed your statements that you presented to support your view and showed why your beliefs are false.
Now, if you wish to stick your head in the sand and go on believing that the pertussis and flu vaccines are effective and provide herd immunity, you just go right on believing in fantasies. But kindly refrain from referring to people like me who've done the research and dare to question the wisdom of public vaccine policy and the CDC's recommended schedule (which is not grounded in science but in profits for the pharmaceutical companies) as being "dangerous".
The real danger is the threat to our freedom to choose whether to vaccinate or not, and the reason this danger exists today in the United States is because of people like you who choose to believe in falsehoods and ignore any facts that don't conform to your preexisting beliefs.
Thank you for removing yourself from my list by clicking the "unsubscribe" button the bottom of that email. I do not intend my email list to be for casting pearls to swine.
I've watched the first three episodes. I've learned a number of things I had never heard before that I now know to further research to verify for myself. Of the information presented that I have already researched for myself, I found it to be accurate.
This is not information you are going to hear about from public health officials and government agencies like the CDC.
It is not information you are going to hear from the mainstream media.
It is information you need to know if you are to truly make an informed decision whether to vaccinate.
P.S. -- If you are also the kind of person who just doesn't want to hear information that doesn't conform to your pre-existing beliefs, I encourage you to also click the "unsubscribe" link below. I hope, however, that you are not among their numbers and will act to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. And being part of the solution means thinking for ourselves and educating ourselves about this critically important subject. So go get yourself some pearls.
