Why do some people think something's not worth doing unless it completely solves the problem?

[goaded]

There's a group of people who think that doing something is pointless, if it isn't 100% effective.

Gun control doesn't eliminate gun violence? Pointless.

Vaccines don't completely stop transmission of a virus? Pointless.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions doesn't stop global warming? Pointless.

Vaccines don't save everyone who takes them? Pointless.

Masks don't completely stop transmission of a virus? Pointless.

Seatbelts don't save every driver's life in a crash? Pointless.

Of course, those same people often think it's worth making millions of people's lives harder is justified if it stops any number from "taking advantage".

Updates

9 mo

In the opposite direction, you have things like: "... some slaves developed highly specialized trades from which they benefitted. This is factual and well documented," it added.

The statement continued, “Some examples include: blacksmiths like Ned Cobb, Henry Blair, Lewis Latimer and John Henry; shoemakers like..." (Florida dept. of Education)
The enslavement of millions of Black people wasn't that bad because dozens learned a trade. This is what they want to teach.

[gorydetails]

It's just as idiotic to do something with a >0 chance of solving a problem but comes with higher net costs.

Using your train of thought, if a seatbelt saves 40% of people in crashes, it's worth doing even if seatbelts kill 60% of the people in crashes and increases the price of a car $10,000.

[goaded]

Oh, look, if they don't save people, they kill people.

A perfect example of a different mindset that often affects the same people. Do you understand the fallacy of the false dilemma? ↗

That and a straw man fallacy, one of your favourites.

None of those examples kills more people than they save, that's the point.

[gorydetails]

Lockdowns and remote schooling killed hundreds of people and left an entire generation of school aged kids behind academically.

[goaded]

Yes to the schools, no to the deaths, unless you've got some actual evidence. The reason for closing schools was to keep their families safe; they're petri-dishes at the best of times, as you'd know if you have children.

[gorydetails]

Youth suicides up
www.nationwidechildrens.org/.../bridge_ruch_youthsuicide_pandemic

Lockdowns did more harm than good
health.wusf.usf.edu/.../a-johns-hopkins-study-says-ill-founded-lockdowns-did-little-to-limit-covid-deaths

Oh, and the runaway global inflation and the greatest transfer of wealth from middle class to billionaires in history for icing on top.

[gorydetails]

www.oxfam.org/.../ten-richest-men-double-their-fortunes-pandemic-while-incomes-99-percent-humanity

[goaded]

Yeah, the numbers of suicides really peaked in 2020. Wait, weren't the lockdowns around April 2020? What's that green line, there?


The Johns Hopkins paper says that they did save lives, and I'd like to know how anyone was supposed to see into the future. I mean, at the time you thought no more than half a million Americans could possibly die from the virus.

As to rich people making fortunes off disasters is nothing new. Most of that is probably Amazon and streaming services. Tax them. The corporations who jacked their prices despite not having significantly higher costs, too. That's where most of the inflation came from.

[msc545]

This is binary or black and white thinking which is typical of people with limited intelligence who are unable or unwilling to appreciate or consider nuance. Arguing with such people can be very frustrating.

[goaded]

Really? I hadn't noticed.

[msc545]

Lol!

[SaoirseS]

The zero-defect mentality.

[goaded]

"A zero-defects mentality (also known as Zero Error Syndrome) exists when a command-and-control structure does not tolerate mistakes. This atmosphere is now widely acknowledged to be ineffective in both military and corporate life." Interesting!

[goaded]

They generally don't mind making errors, just admitting them.

[ProbablyClueless]

Those people would say it was all about the cost vs the benefit. Not sure that's a conversation worth engaging in, but that's kinda where those people are at

[Friendlybro79]

Human nature is what it is. Completely imperfect.

[goaded]

Not everybody thinks that way, though, do they?

[Friendlybro79]

No not everyone thinks the way you stated. I know you know that clearly because you said why do some... some people think this way because it's easy to be lazy. Some people just don't think critically past themselves or bigger picture. Some just don't care about anything which is because we're not perfect. It's frustrating when you do care but plenty of people do care about the things you stated.