My theory on this has always had to do with comfort. As a species we are driven to find that which is comfortable and safe... it's part of the survival mechanism. We seek warmth as it protects us from hypothermia, shelter as it guards us from exposure, a full belly as it staves off malnutrition. The majority of our basic behavior as humans is to avoid discomfort and search for pleasure, as it is with all animals.
The first question is "how does this interact with our thought patterns"? How often have you thought about the world around you... the chance of dying as you cross the street, the likelihood of contracting a horrible illness from those around you. These are not pleasant thoughts. What do we do about these thoughts? We buy safer cars, wear our seat belts, wash our hands, and shy away from those showing outward signs of illness. Our minds know on a subconscious level that these actions will help our survival so it feels good to do them... you get a warm fuzzy feeling inside. This feeling holds true whenever we have that illusion that the actions will make us safer.
So, next we have the question of how stupidity plays into this. The answer is simple, the it's more comforting to not think about these things. The less you open your eyes to the reality of the world around you the less you fear. You don't realize the multitude of ways that the universe is trying to kill you every second of your life. You don't understand that modern society has no concept of shared responsibility and tie to each other and tends to look at you as just another stepping stone to be tread upon. When people are faced with an uncomfortable and painful thought they seek solace in that which readily reassures them... things like gods and guns. It's easier to think that some supernatural being is looking out for you and loves you than it is to try and actually come up with a way to treat the cancer that is growing on your prostate.
A lifetime of seeking pleasure and avoiding deeper thought doesn't do a lot to help create a better and brighter you.
The first question is "how does this interact with our thought patterns"? How often have you thought about the world around you... the chance of dying as you cross the street, the likelihood of contracting a horrible illness from those around you. These are not pleasant thoughts. What do we do about these thoughts? We buy safer cars, wear our seat belts, wash our hands, and shy away from those showing outward signs of illness. Our minds know on a subconscious level that these actions will help our survival so it feels good to do them... you get a warm fuzzy feeling inside. This feeling holds true whenever we have that illusion that the actions will make us safer.
So, next we have the question of how stupidity plays into this. The answer is simple, the it's more comforting to not think about these things. The less you open your eyes to the reality of the world around you the less you fear. You don't realize the multitude of ways that the universe is trying to kill you every second of your life. You don't understand that modern society has no concept of shared responsibility and tie to each other and tends to look at you as just another stepping stone to be tread upon. When people are faced with an uncomfortable and painful thought they seek solace in that which readily reassures them... things like gods and guns. It's easier to think that some supernatural being is looking out for you and loves you than it is to try and actually come up with a way to treat the cancer that is growing on your prostate.
A lifetime of seeking pleasure and avoiding deeper thought doesn't do a lot to help create a better and brighter you.