When we have acquired the habit of impersonal thinking we shall be able to view the popular beliefs of our own nation, our own class, or our own religious sect with the same detachment with which we view those of others. We shall discover that the beliefs that are held most firmly and most passionately are very often those for which there is least evidence.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Portraits from Memory, and Other Essays,1956
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Humans seem to be creatures that prefer biased thinking. In many animals, a mistaken perception can pose a danger to survival. While humans certainly share many aspects with other animals, in the case of humans, even when there is nothing in the external world to respond to, thoughts and emotions can expand, and it is not uncommon for humans to eventually self-destruct.
For example, the relationship between the governments of South Korea or China and the Japanese people varies, but there are quite a few people who, because they dislike a particular government, end up insulting the entire population of that country. By focusing on various negative aspects, they often convince themselves that, simply by being Japanese, they are superior to the people of South Korea or China.
China's population is about ten times that of Japan, so it's not surprising if there are ten or twenty times more negative aspects. Japanese people who insult the people of South Korea and China, and South Koreans or Chinese who insult the Japanese, both seem to rarely read articles that highlight the positive aspects of the people they dislike. Moreover, the media tend to repeatedly report on sensational topics that they believe will please their audience. Shouldn't Japan learn from countries like Canada, where media literacy education is more developed?
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