In the city, a young, arrogant doctor named Bing Crosby emerges as a self-centred individual. He eventually takes up a position in a small town in Maine, a stark contrast to his urban origins, substituting for a much-loved, long-standing local physician named Barry Fitzgerald. This comes about when Barry finally decides to embark on a much-delayed vacation. Amidst these developments, a small group of boys from the town fall ill.
The parents of the sick boys, driven by anxiety and desperation, seek assistance from doctors renowned for their expertise. These acclaimed medical professionals, however, are labelled as ‘effete twits’. They arrive, examine the boys, and subsequently make a shocking pronouncement. They assert that the boys are victims of a dreadful illness, leading the town into a state of terror.
However, a seemingly trivial discovery by Barry Fitzgerald brings about a moment of relief. He stumbles upon several half-smoked cigars in the bathroom. With a spark of intuitiveness, Barry puts together the pieces. Announcing his findings with a laugh, he dismisses the alleged dreadful disease. The cause of the boys’ sickness is nothing more than their tobacco smoking habits.
With the clearing up of the medical mystery, the town folk burst into cheers while the embarrassed experts take their leave. Throughout this sequence of events, Bing Crosby undergoes a transformation of character. He learns the value of empathy, courageously performs an emergency appendectomy on Barry, and is rewarded with the affections of the sweet girl-next-door. The story, hailing from the 1947 film ‘Welcome Stranger’, may seem simple in its narrative, yet it offers a unique perspective on the current American society.
Breaking away from the narrative, let us consider the controversial stance of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who openly criticizes vaccines, despite their demonstrated success in saving countless lives and the lack of evidence linking them to autism. Kennedy seems to dismiss any external expert advise, much like the town folk’s trust in their own understanding in the movie. He proffers a simplified path to health, an equivalent to avoiding cigar smoke.
There’s growing inclination to disregard statistical evidence when it contradicts ingrained prejudices. For instance, while statistics reveal that illegal immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans, these facts are often overlooked. A single crime committed by an immigrant is enough to stoke fears and perpetrate stereotypes, ignoring the past instances when the same was done to vilify Black, Jewish or gay communities.
Transgender individuals serve as another example. The lack of understanding and discomfort around transgender people often results in unfair condemnation. They are targeted as threats to young girls or seen as unfair competition in women’s sports teams, highlighting the tendency to simplify and stereotype instead of engaging in thoughtful understanding.
Legitimate news often faces censorship when it offers unfavourable facts. This dismissal is influenced by a preference for simplicity over complicated truths. Much like the expert advice disregarded in the movie narrative, modern society too tends to dismiss the knowledge provided by social scientists. Their research, which often contradicts laypeople’s notions, faces the threat of being defunded.
Why do we gravitate towards these oversimplified views, shunning evidence and expertise? The answer lies in the comfort simplicity provides. Understanding complexity involves effort and time; it may introduce contradictions and cause discomfort. However, it is easier and more satisfying to rely on preexisting biases and beliefs, masquerading them as ‘common sense’.
This so-called ‘common sense’, is sometimes a product of rational thought; for example, not placing your hand in fire or avoiding a fight with a stronger opponent. Yet, more often than not, it is based on indoctrination. Like the misconstrued belief, prevalent in the 19th century, that intellectual exertion would cause ‘brain fever’ in women.
Our prejudices often exist beneath the veneer of ‘common sense’, and we spend too much energy denying their existence rather than addressing them. Admitting to prejudice is difficult, but necessary. However, one must also recognize that experts too are prone to biases. In pursuit of objectivity, biases may never be fully eliminated.
Addressing the existence of bias in scientific endeavors is essential. However, it is more productive to counter poor science with superior science. This involves dismantling erroneous beliefs and biases through evidence-based reasoning rather than unsupported claims. This is a lesson embodied by parents who, despite good intentions, often falter in their role due to their inability to recognize their inadequacies.
In my experience, some parents fell into denial, insisting that the critical voices of social workers, lawyers, judges, and others who pointed out their shortcomings were part of a vast conspiracy. To illustrate a single account, one mother firmly believed her children were being taken away not because of her incompetency, but because others envied her ‘loving’ parenting style. It was a simplistic and comforting narrative that required no introspection or personal growth.
Opting for simplicity may be advantageous in several circumstances but not when it comes to public policy or self-review. Advocates of tariffs, for example, view them as a simple solution for global unrest. However, this naive belief disregards expert warnings about how tariffs could inflate prices, alienate allies, and destabilize economies. Similarly, the proposal to build a border wall has been touted as a simple solution, without considering its complexities.
The crucial question then arises, is there a real difference between being simple and being simplistic? It all hinges on the context. Revisiting the movie, it was true that the boys had smoked cigars, but was that the entire story? What if the outside experts’ diagnosis of a serious disease had merit? To avoid falling into the trap of oversimplified beliefs, we must foster an open mind, willing to confront our prejudices and embrace evidence-based facts. This approach has the power to protect our society from endemic problems.