That’s the problem. Believing in a flat earth isn’t just some weird quirk, like believing that gluten is bad for you or the number 4 is bad luck because in Chinese it sounds like the word for death. You can have beliefs like that and still maintain friendships with people who don’t share them. It’s such an illogical belief that people who express it are always mocked, and it’s also such a big “conspiracy” that believers have trouble not talking about it. That means believers tend to form a community to support each-other and defend against these insults. It’s basically an especially stupid religious community or a cult.
Giving up on your belief that the earth is flat means losing your whole community. There’s no real way to be a sphere-earther in the flat earther community. Some of the people “lose faith” but don’t admit it to the others in the community because they don’t want to be ostracized.
I would guess that the people who manage to leave the community are the ones who have friends and family that are willing to forgive and forget and welcome them back after they leave the cult. That also means that the ones who have lost their friends and family due to their wacky beliefs are never going to drop those beliefs because they’ll have nothing left.
People do this all the time in hobby groups and other social formations.
Right now in cycling the industry is pushing a new wheel size, and people are freaking out about it and saying they will ostracize people who buy a new bike with the new wheels. And every youtuber influencer is like making videos about how they will stay loyal to the old size… and they all did this over a decade ago and in a few years they will all be huge proponents of the new wheels once they are socially acceptable to do so, when it’s established and no longer ‘new and scary’.
Everyone desperately wants to signal to the herd they are part of the group, until the herd makes it acceptable to change your mind.
I’m short, so I don’t like that trend. It also seems like the more stuff you’re “rolling over” the smaller your contact patch will be, so the less traction you’ll have.
Anyhow, probably doesn’t matter to me since those aren’t the kinds of bikes I buy.
That’s the problem. Believing in a flat earth isn’t just some weird quirk, like believing that gluten is bad for you or the number 4 is bad luck because in Chinese it sounds like the word for death. You can have beliefs like that and still maintain friendships with people who don’t share them. It’s such an illogical belief that people who express it are always mocked, and it’s also such a big “conspiracy” that believers have trouble not talking about it. That means believers tend to form a community to support each-other and defend against these insults. It’s basically an especially stupid religious community or a cult.
Giving up on your belief that the earth is flat means losing your whole community. There’s no real way to be a sphere-earther in the flat earther community. Some of the people “lose faith” but don’t admit it to the others in the community because they don’t want to be ostracized.
I would guess that the people who manage to leave the community are the ones who have friends and family that are willing to forgive and forget and welcome them back after they leave the cult. That also means that the ones who have lost their friends and family due to their wacky beliefs are never going to drop those beliefs because they’ll have nothing left.
People do this all the time in hobby groups and other social formations.
Right now in cycling the industry is pushing a new wheel size, and people are freaking out about it and saying they will ostracize people who buy a new bike with the new wheels. And every youtuber influencer is like making videos about how they will stay loyal to the old size… and they all did this over a decade ago and in a few years they will all be huge proponents of the new wheels once they are socially acceptable to do so, when it’s established and no longer ‘new and scary’.
Everyone desperately wants to signal to the herd they are part of the group, until the herd makes it acceptable to change your mind.
CyclingAbout reported pretty fairly on the 29ers. Efficiency and speed. Like everything in cycling the differences were marginal.
Really? What’s the new wheel size? Get me in on this controversy!
32" vs 700c or 29"
Or 26 inches, ye olde mountain bike standard. Are they putting 32 inch wheels on road bikes now?
no, gravel and mountain bikes. it’s for increased traction and rollover.
I’m short, so I don’t like that trend. It also seems like the more stuff you’re “rolling over” the smaller your contact patch will be, so the less traction you’ll have.
Anyhow, probably doesn’t matter to me since those aren’t the kinds of bikes I buy.
yeah that’s not how it works. you have more traction, more control, and more speed. it’s superior.
but people just hate it because it’s new and different.