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cousin_it comments on Open Thread June 2010, Part 4 - Less Wrong
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Do you mean do say that people of ordinary intelligence, as a general rule, don't actually believe whatever it is they say they believe, but instead just parrot what those around them say? You might be right. I think I need to find a way to re-immerse myself in a crowd of people of average intelligence; it's been far too long, and my predictive/descriptive powers for such people are fraying.
Note that none of this is sarcasm; this comment is entirely sincere.
Wedrifid only said "potential"; most people, smart or not, behave as you say. And I would expand "delusion" to 'belief": being smart is correlated with being influenced by beliefs, true or false.
That people act on beliefs or have at all coherent world-views is the most dangerous widespread delusion. ("The world is mad.") Immersing yourself in a crowd of average intelligence might help you see this, but I rather doubt that your associates act on their beliefs.
Another thing that is dangerous is the people that actually act on their beliefs. They are much harder to control. People 'acting as if' pragmatically don't do things that we strongly socially penalize.
Not on their stated beliefs; surely, but don't most people have a set of actual beliefs? Can't these actual beliefs, at least in some contexts, be nudged so as to influence the level and direction of cognitive dissonance, which in turn can influence actions?