this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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This is why pseudoscience at all levels is dangerous to a modern society. Including "harmless" shit like astrology. It encourages magical thinking and the disregard of science in favor of belief in something that "feels right."
Take that to its logical conclusion, and people die.
Astrology? Of all things, why point fingers at that? Give me one example on why it may lead to dangerous conclusions.
They already did.
It leads to magical thinking.
That's a generalization, not an example. What does that even mean or tries to mean?
Astrology also was used by Ronald Reagan, president of the United States, to help decide important issues.
I think that's good proof it's fucking dangerous.
I pointed at that for the exact reason you think: because people believe it's harmless.
What it does is erode the critical thinking abilities of a population. If you can believe that giant balls of gas millions of light years away that aren't even close to one another but only appear to form shapes when viewed from one specific angle, can have an affect on events on this planet, then you can be convinced of literally anything.
It's no different than religion. It's magical thinking, and as we have seen, it breaks people's brains.
Read "The Demon-Haunted World" by Carl Sagan for a much better explanation of my position. This book should be required reading by every adult imo.
I already addressed that issue on another reply and I manage to disagree and agree with your position.