Other good point: some horrendous deaths (like mass shootings) demand "thoughts and prayers", while other deaths go unremarked. Why not pray (if you must) for all such deaths?
I suspect the vast majority of people watch media outlets for the weather or sports scores. The news section gets a “oh that’s too bad” reaction, but it is rare that one would let the media impact them directly.
Inferring that something is true of a whole group from the fact that it's true of some of its members is called the fallacy of composition.
Other good point: some horrendous deaths (like mass shootings) demand "thoughts and prayers", while other deaths go unremarked. Why not pray (if you must) for all such deaths?
Great point. Trumpsters go wild over this kind of stuff. For example, immigrants.
Nice exemplar of the difference btw anecdotes (no matter how voluminous) and actual event rates. It’s a good reminder.
I did not understand the linkage to misanthropy.
WTF
I suspect the vast majority of people watch media outlets for the weather or sports scores. The news section gets a “oh that’s too bad” reaction, but it is rare that one would let the media impact them directly.