"A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that 55% of Republicans falsely believe Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election was the result of illegal voting or rigging."

"Additionally, 60% of Republicans incorrectly agree that the election was stolen from Republican Donald Trump." 

CNN reports, aggressively inserting the view that the people who were polled are wrong. I believe that's a very unusual way to report an opinion poll, with insistence that the opinion is wrong and apart from any factual reporting that makes it perfectly obvious that the opinion is mistaken. 

This displays a desperate fear of the opinion, and I don't think it does much good. The urge to stamp the opinion out will tend to make those who hold it grip more tightly: What are they afraid of? Are they trying to get me to move on, telling me there's nothing to see here?

CNN continues:

What is perfectly clear, however, is that Republicans' lack of faith in our current election infrastructure is a direct result of Trump's historic efforts to undermine the legitimacy of the 2020 results.

It's "perfectly clear" why people have this opinion? This is a news article, reporting a poll, and it's making an absolute assertion about why human beings believe what they do. That doesn't inspire confidence. It makes people suspicious, perhaps paranoid. 

FROM THE EMAIL: Cheryl writes: 

“Election infrastructure...” 

Seems like that word is being softened up to mean anything they want it to mean. Wonder why. 

Good catch. I'll boldface the word in the quoted text above. Cheryl's right. There's been a lot of talk lately from Democrats around the word "infrastructure." I was just saying: "It's a propaganda word to the core."

AND: Temujin emails:

The only thing missing from this article was the word 'debunked' as in, these false theories have been clearly debunked. Which, of course, they have not.

The key to this is that the fraud, or at least the appearance of fraud has never been fully examined, investigated, or allowed to be. Even those few court 'appearances' were mostly tossed out of court for 'lack of standing' or due to lack of evidence. Yes, it's hard to obtain evidence when your discovery time is extremely short, and the states have it locked away, or thrown away, or it has simply 'disappeared'.

What we have had, since the surprising closing of the polls late in the evening in 4 key cities, and the more surprising change from a massive Trump lead to a Biden surge taking place while the polls were 'closed' at 1-4 am, is a barrage of media sources, Big Tech, and 'expert' talking heads telling us all how this was clearly a clean election, no fraud, and all questions have been answered, all theories, debunked. I personally will go to my grave not believing that 80 million Americans — more than voted for any previous person in our history- got out and voted for Joe Biden who had spent the previous 18 months locked up in a basement with an occasional outing to mispronounce names or forget where he was.

There are roughly 74 million people in this country walking around right now with a nagging nervousness in their gut, like a wound that will not go away. Too many of us, and I clearly include me in this, strongly suspect a massive foul play — a coup — took place on November 3. We are suspicious of what took place before, during, and certainly after election day. Demanding we believe the networks is hardly the answer to clearing this up.

And the overall complete and total censorship and dismissal of the topic — by Big Tech, the networks, major news outlets, and talking heads — only exacerbates our suspicions. That CNN- the network most famous for promoting the Russia! Russia! Russia! hoax, purposely misquoting Trump on his Charlottesville comments, showcasing preposterous liars with fabulous stories about Justice Kavanaugh, calling flat-out riots destroying our cities 'peaceful protests', and sporting insurrection tears — has a show called "Reality Check" is all you need to know about the USA in 2020, 2021.

That the Reuters/Ipsos poll only shows 55% of Republicans still questioning things shows how much work the media has already done to make this all disappear. That number should be at 80%. It probably is. We know how inaccurate our polls have been over the last few years. Yet we still crank them out — daily.

Owen writes:  

Remarkable behavior by CNN, as you point out. Reminds me of the line, “The louder he spoke of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”

And mezzrow says: 

On truth and elections. Here’s a definition of what term 'liberal' means from my favorite reactionary. On these terms, I will always proudly identify as liberal. It’s the only identity politics that has meaning to me.

There exist two interpretations of the popular vote, one democratic, the other liberal. 

According to the democratic interpretation what the majority resolves upon is true; according to the liberal interpretation the majority merely chooses one option. 

A dogmatic and absolutist interpretation, the one; a skeptical and discreet interpretation, the other. – Don Colacho

And Tim writes: 

Somehow, both Hayes and Kennedy avoided going down in history with an asterisk beside their name. I do not think Biden is going to avoid that fate. A big part of both Hayes and Kennedy avoiding that fate was their attempt to reconcile with their foes. But Biden has never been the sharpest pencil in the box.

AND: Bob Boyd writes:

That doesn't inspire confidence. It makes people suspicious, perhaps paranoid. 

I think this kind of thing does inspire confidence in those who choose to believe The Narrative.

CNN knows what it is doing with this stuff. It's not a blunder. It's not poor journalism. It's the new journalism. Their role is not to report facts, it's to report their expert determination of the correct opinion.

There is no factual reporting included because it is not the role of news consumers to determine which opinion is correct and which is mistaken. Facts are for experts to sift through, who will then report their determination of the correct opinion. Wise consumers will adopt that expert opinion. Failure to adopt that opinion is a clear indication of a serious character flaw.

Am I being paranoid?

And Wild Swan writes: 

Believe is kind of a funny word which may make "falsely believing" an impossibility. What would Wittgenstein say? Can I "falsely believe" in the sense that I would be able to say "I falsely believe?"

Wittgenstein said no.. He said: I can believe a falsehood (false belief) but I am not able to carry out an action - "falsely believing" - that means believing and not believing?

Continuing on from him, I say: "Truly believing," as a description of the belief of many Republicans about the 2020 election means "sincerely believing," rather than "correctly believing." Its opposite is not "falsely believing" but "pretending to believe" or hypocrisy.

Go further. Can someone else truly say of me: "She falsely believes?" Is there such a thing as a psychological state which is a false way to believe, as opposed to a false belief. Can you falsely believe CNN or Jen Psaki?

The significance of the question is that a "false belief" implies that there is a truth somewhere whereas "falsely believing" is a nonsense phrase - something a bureaucrat or any other dullard is well able to say about the ciphers they ruin without the phrase ever diverting them into falsely questing for truth.

AND: Dwight writes: 

USA Today has been doing this for months regarding the election... "Trump falsely claims..."

I've been waiting for "Franklin Graham falsely claims there is a God".

*** 

There is no comments section anymore, but you can email me here. Unless you say otherwise, I will presume you'd enjoy an update to this post with a quote from your email.

"Like everyone else, introverts are excited about seeing family and close friends in person, dining in restaurants, traveling and all the other pleasures of a good life."

"But most are not interested in facing the forced small talk, the big parties, the noisy open offices and all the demands of extroverts who think more is more and introverts should try harder.... Many people believe introverts are cold, shy or socially anxious — but those stereotypes are misleading. They love people, but in small doses.... There’s some brain science to explain the behavior: Extroverts are less sensitive to dopamine, the 'feel-good' chemical that affects the brain’s pleasure center, and require more stimulation to be happy and energized. For introverts, a little dopamine goes a long way, and too much of anything can be exhausting. When restrictions were imposed last year, 'I had extrovert friends who were just losing their minds'.... But introverts were finally getting the uninterrupted time they craved.... Many professionals are questioning the value of returning to the 9-to-5 office — introverts because they prefer to work alone, extroverts because their lives would be simpler. Is getting dressed, enduring a commute and sitting at a desk really necessary?... Now introverts have colleagues — including plenty of extroverts — advocating to work from home part or full time. What happens next might depend on who’s in power. Extroverted bosses like the hustle and bustle of a traditional office. Introverted bosses may be more open to a hybrid workplace...."

From "Meet the introverts who are dreading a return to normal" (WaPo). 

Here's a perfect little TikTok I happened upon yesterday. It expresses some of what you see in that article:

@mallorydlc

has wfh changed you? #wfh #homeoffice #thoughts

♬ Sweden - FamilyJules

FROM THE EMAIL: kylos writes: 

Regarding the typical division of people into introverts and extroverts, I find it to be overly simplified.

When it comes to the office in particular, I don’t think preference for being in the office divides neatly according to “vertedness”.

I am by no means extroverted, enjoying quiet environments. Perhaps some would call me an introvert, but I usually perceive self-described introverts as somewhat misanthropic, so I don’t tend to like that label. I do enjoy being around people but can quickly tire of too much activity.

Anyway, all that to say I hate remote work. It definitely has pluses: no commute (but see below), I can work on my porch or with the windows open, I’m able to take care of personal things as needed, my wife and daughter are nearby, etc.

But I deeply miss personally interacting with coworkers. Zoom is not a suitable replacement for face to face conversation or simply bumping into someone in the hall. I am much more distracted and far less productive at home. I don’t get my personal time during my commute to listen to podcasts or be with my thoughts. My personal routines have suffered. By being unable to separate work and home, neither aspect of my life gets the focus it needs.

Several other coworkers who I would probably describe as introverted also have high dissatisfaction with remote work.

On the flip side, another coworker who is one of the most outgoing people I’ve met and who can’t stay focused at the office, who constantly has her ears up for any stray conversation to join seems to be thriving at home. Perhaps she’d prefer to be in the office, but her focus is much improved, she takes a lot of initiative in solving problems and seems to be much more productive overall. I can’t speak for her happiness, but she seems to do very well in the current environment.

So while I don’t particularly like the categories of introverted and extroverted, I definitely also don’t see them as neatly aligning with favoring remote work or the office.

Yes, and by the way, I don't think there is enough evidence in the TikTok video to conclude that the woman is an introvert. She speaks of aesthetic things and wanting her life to feel more unified, but we can't really tell how she relates to other people. 

You're second-to-last paragraph is a good idea for an mainstream media article. I've seen a lot about how introverts are benefiting from the lockdown, and it's presumed that it's harder for extroverts.

ALSO: Julie writes: 

I really loved the TikTok video of the woman who "can't go back" to a traditional office environment, particularly when she describes working from home with "I don't have to split myself, or my day, in half". 

I, and the folks that work with me, completely agree, which is why we've decided to stay fully remote. The pros certainly outweigh the cons for my team. Plus it's nice not to have to pay office space rent.

Though in watching the TikTok video I realize how much I miss the unexpected delights of experiencing someone else's work space. In watching mallorydlc's TikTok I've just experienced a little pang of sadness from missing other people's coffee mugs! In thinking back over the last 10 years and multiple workplaces, I think I can still describe many of my colleagues' water bottles or coffee mugs. And now these things that were virtual appendages to people only make rare appearances on video calls. They are no longer a part of my understanding of workmates. Is it an odd thing to miss? I don't know.

I also miss the hallway friendships developed with folks in other businesses in the same building. I'll never know if candy bar guy ended up marrying that one woman who used to visit him for lunch sometimes, or if large button-downed shirt guy achieved his target weight, or if sales guy still sings loudly out of his office for his own personal classic rock Friday . You don't know what you have until you lose it.

It's probably a good sign that you see and value the good in both situations. 

AND: Tim emails: 

I’m a classic introvert. One thing this discussion suffers from is lack of a clear definition of what an introvert/extrovert is. The definition I’ve found most useful is, the introvert recharges their emotional energy by being alone, the extrovert by being with other people. The introvert can fully enjoy social situations, but they need periodic alone-time. The extrovert can enjoy solitude, but they need periodic socializing.

Kylos may not like the term “introvert,” but she fits my definition perfectly.

(I don't know whether kylos is male or female.)

She’s just like me, and I can’t wait go go back to the office for all the same reasons. Plus one more—these introvert/extrovert articles seem to assume introverts should love working from home for the endless alone-time, but (apart from the fact that introverts don’t crave endless alone time) if you don’t live alone, the opposite is true. I’m never alone because everybody’s always home. I go a little nuts sometimes without that desperately needed “me time.”

Meanwhile, my classic extrovert wife loves working from home and will resist going back for all the reasons cited in that tiktok by the person we’re supposed to assume is an introvert.

ALSO: Wendy emails: 

I am amused by your introvert post, I am an introvert and have been saying since April of last year that quarantine is not an introvert's dream. Specifically not my dream it is actually a nightmare, my space where I recharge was no longer available. It could have been fantastic for me and I am sure it was fantastic for some introverts, just not all introverts.

In total, I have nine posts on my blog titled 'Introvert' and back in February, I wrote a bit about why I was looking to get back to normal. Since posting that, my kids have been in school 5 days a week, and my husband is still in the basement. I can live with that because I alluded to in my blog he doesn't have the same drain on me as my kids. I love them all but I do need a break, and he is pretty self sufficient, I don't need to keep him on track with his work, he can get his own food etc. I don't need to listen in to see if I need to intervene in a childhood argument.

Despite our society trying to put everyone on in our own box and at the same time encouraging us to yell how unique we are it is still so obvious that really we want people to remember we are the same. Did some extroverts adapt and like quarantine sure, same can be said for introverts, but introverts are not a block much like no demographic is a block. If this happened while my kids were teenagers or out of the house I think it would have been easier for me because their demands while different would have been easier to deal with.

“I don't think that you need to rehash ending comments any further, but I just thought of this. There is a Grateful Dead documentary on Prime..."

"... and the last episode, when the Dead were carrying on the show for the fans, the fans who were becoming increasingly rowdy, BTW. The show was killing Jerry, and did kill him. The Deadheads wouldn't even buy tickets for the show, but just would show up 'for the party.' The band was getting kind of sick of it an had no way to control it. Anyway, there was a lot about that final episode that reminded me of your blog. Like I said, you have stated your reasons clearly enough, so I am not asking you to use this in any way, but just credit it to 'Tim' if you should choose to do so."

That's (obviously) from the email. Here's the Amazon Prime series, "A Long Strange Trip." I've watched some of it, but not the last episode. Now, I will watch it. I have thought about my problem with the comments with an analogy to having a party at my own house.