Transcript
Hey everyone. Welcome to another DailyJim It's monday july 18th 2022. Today I want to talk about data and feelings yeah, as it relates to guns, but just in general data and feelings. Um so there's a phrase that I think one guy in the online sphere and and broadcasting uses a lot named Ben Shapiro. I think he says facts, don't care about your feelings. He hasn't pinned to his twitter account. And I think it's something he strongly believes in. And it made me think about something the reverse of it. Almost that feelings don't care about the facts. And today, earlier on twitter I saw someone post a a story like a study really that was talking about statistics on gun violence. And I think it was talking about how as more guns in the society doesn't equal less gun violence. And I think the purpose of the post was to say that c statistically having more guns doesn't make us more safe. And I think that's actually what statistics have been showing for a while, in that a lot of times statistics show that if we have the more guns we have, the more likely we are to use them on ourselves or our loved ones, then we are to use them to shoot or kill an intruder or stranger.
I think there may even be statistics say that we're more likely to commit suicide with our own weapon, our own gun than we are to use it against somebody else in protection.
And so statistics studies, science etcetera etcetera correlations cause ations, p values and all these fun fun numbers that I in terms that I don't fully understand because I didn't fully take the statistics course in college. It's actually the one that kicked me out of that kicked me out. But it's the one that was the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of me switching out of electrical engineering and so in talking about this I think so often.
At least people maybe in the more democratic side but just some people in general tend to point to the studies and statistics and say see but look at the statistics, but I don't think that matters so much in terms of the overall conversation. Yes, I think statistics matter but I think what's missing is the conversation about how we feel, Why do people want to have guns? Do people, how do people feel when they think about owning a gun? How do people feel when they think about not owning a gun? How do they feel when they think about somebody else owning a gun? Especially somebody of a particular group of different groups? Right. How do they feel when they think about somebody who wow their neighbor owning a gun? How do they feel when they think about the police having guns? How do they feel when they think about white people having guns? How do they feel when they think about black people having guns? How do they feel when they think about etcetera etcetera? Men having guns. Women having guns any type of identity category we can come up with.
And I think that's what often matters is the feeling at least that's what drives so many of our decisions. And I just wish we would talk about that. I want to know why rather I want to know how people are feeling in some of these things with regards to these products with regards to these Two firearms of different types. How do people feel when they think about owning a pistol? How do they feel when they think about owning an a. r. 15? How do they feel when they think about.
Their neighbors? Do they trust their neighbors? Do they fear their neighbors? Who do they want protection from if they do want to have a gun? Is it because they want protection from the United States government? Do they want protection from their local government? Do they want protection from the militia? Do they want protection from their neighbor? Do they want protection from the person who may break into their home and steal the stuff? Do they want protection because they were held up at gunpoint before. So for the criminals on the street or being attacked on the street, why do people want guns? What feelings do they have? And conversely, why do people not want to have them? What feelings do those people have? And I just wish we would have these conversations because I don't think conversations talking about? Well the statistics show, help.
Tackle the the root emotions that are driving many of our decisions.
Why maybe some people who are in legislative positions say they want to have guns because they're terrified of all the people who have guns and saying I'm going to take your guns away. Why do people fear that their guns will be taking away from them? Why do they fear, why is there such a slippery slope belief sometimes that if, if there are restrictions on gun purchasing, that means all guns will be taken away. That's not logical. It's, if you want to go that pure logic, it's more emotional. Okay. The fear, what fear? It's almost like a terror that something like this would happen. Why? What is the fear that will happen? What do these people fear they will lose if something like that happens?
You know, if they do have their guns taken away, what do they fear will happen? That they're going to lose their home, that their wife is going to be killed, that their Children are going to be killed or something else. I'm not saying that these are invalid fears to have. I think we all have fears. I think we all have, uh, I don't think it's always only just fear as it relates to guns either. I think there's lots of other emotions. There's maybe pride in terms of the ability to shoot one. There's maybe, oh, like lots of other emotions. So I just wish we would talk about those because in general, I think, yes, I think the data or the statistics matter. I also think the feelings that people are feeling and how those feelings impact our decisions matter as well. And so I just wish we could also have that conversation a little more clearly and a little more deeply than we normally do. I think I've talked about this before but it's a point I want to reiterate because I hear all too often and it frustrates me when people online or on tv or in regular conversation will say. Oh no, but from a purely rational standpoint, purely rational. Okay maybe maybe there is the logical rational maybe way that we can talk about it. But so many of our conversations are infused with personal, basically emotional memories and emotional responses to what's happening. So many statements are colored by our emotional experience. So many decisions. So many actions are colored by our emotional experience. So I just wish that we also talked about it as well. So seven minutes so it's over time. So hope you have enjoyed this and look forward to talking tomorrow.
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