Bradford originally posted an article about naïve realism:

Naïve realism is the conviction that one sees the world as it is and that when people don't see it in a similar way, it is they that do not see the world for what it is.

Over the years, I have tried to help people see that this contentious debate is not purely a matter of "the evidence," but instead deeply involves such things as stereotypes, confirmation bias, disconfirmation bias, and tribalism. We can now add naïve realism to the pot, as it may play a central role.

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Okay, you defenders of the non-telic dog-eat-dog Malthusian evolutionary world! Here's a great, heart-warming story from the UK's Daily Mail…

Pointer is Baby Kangaroo's Hero

in Torquay, Victoria, Australia a 10 year old German Shorthaired Pointer/Wirehaired Pointer mix, named Rex made quite a discovery while on a walk with his owner Leonie Allan. Early in the morning Rex and Leonie headed out on their usual walk and discovered that a female kangaroo had been struck and killed by a car. Later on in the afternoon Rex returned to the body and gently retrieved what no one knew was there - a 4 month old joey! Rex carried the baby by the neck in such a nurturing way that the little guy was unharmed.

"The joey was snuggling up to him, jumping up to him and Rex was sniffing and licking him - it was quite cute", said Allan.

There are many people on the internet who claim to speak for Science. These are people who proudly display their academic credentials and positions while trying to explain, defend, and advocate for science. Their credentials and positions are displayed to give their voices added authority. Yet such authority comes with a price.

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Throughout history, stereotypes have been a incredible source of harm. Stereotypes are an expression of tribalism, where one tribe uses stereotypes not only to attack the perceived outsiders, but also to help maintain conformity within the tribe. They entrench an Us vs. Them approach to reality that places more value on the group than the individual.

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