I've been thinking (and only thinking, no research or anything) about why the general population seems to regard various forms of woo as a positive thing. I've come to the conclusion that while Science and evidence are the way to go for me, there is an undeniable draw that Woo has over science.
Woo is accessable to the layperson. You don't have to understand the principles behind it for the claims to sound plausible. You dont have to spend time looking up medicines to see what they conflict with. You don't have to contend with the exotic vocabulary associated with the scientific endeavor and its results. There is also the "charm" factor, practitioners of woo tend to be very charismatic and outgoing, they come off as friends instead of advisors/authority figures. The most important thing I see falling on the side of Woo, is they can tell you what you want to hear when science tells you what IS.
Theres more I'm sure, but its hard (for me) to think about the "positives" of woo without wondering why I'm not taking the easy path that Woo offers.
Woo is accessable to the layperson. You don't have to understand the principles behind it for the claims to sound plausible. You dont have to spend time looking up medicines to see what they conflict with. You don't have to contend with the exotic vocabulary associated with the scientific endeavor and its results. There is also the "charm" factor, practitioners of woo tend to be very charismatic and outgoing, they come off as friends instead of advisors/authority figures. The most important thing I see falling on the side of Woo, is they can tell you what you want to hear when science tells you what IS.
Theres more I'm sure, but its hard (for me) to think about the "positives" of woo without wondering why I'm not taking the easy path that Woo offers.
