If It’s Simple It’s Probably Untrue
Why clickbait and easy-to-understand claims are almost always wrong
As an old geezer with very little interest in squandering precious moments on social media, I visit a certain well-known site very infrequently and only then to see if my real-life friends have posted something of interest. Recently I made one of my rare dives into those turgid waters and encountered a post that sums up a mistake that’s all too common in our world of quick easy answers and misleading glib ideas.
According to the Journal of Sports Medicine, a study has shown that people who are unable to stand on one leg for ten seconds are twice as likely to die in the following decade as people who can perform this feat. The person who posted this then went on to say (she’s a personal trainer) she now teaches her clients to stand on one leg so as to prolong their lives. Multiple people commented on the post, all saying how important it is for us all to learn to stand on one leg so as to avoid early death.
No, I am not making this up.
It seems incredible that people don’t see the problem with this kind of claim, but when we look around we see that it’s all too common a phenomenon. The human brain is evolved to seek simplicity because simplicity requires almost no effort to encompass, and we’re…
