In a culture of ignorance, appalling ignorance not only flourishes, it is flaunted, even celebrated. It becomes an ideological stance. The tenacious strain of anti-intellectualism in North American society is well chronicled. It manifests in the disparagement of "book learning," a distorted skepticism towards orthodox views, the elevation of "my common sense" above specialized knowledge, a proclivity for conspiracy theories on a wide range of subjects, and a rural antipathy toward urban existence and its mores. This populist sentiment has long pervaded public discourse. While it may occasionally be motivated by genuine intellectual inquiry, it is often marred by individuals who perversely revel in their own ignorance. In certain instances, this attitude may be rooted in class antagonism, a form of ressentiment directed at intellectual elites, but more commonly, it represents a defensive stance shaped by religious or ideological convictions. Frequently, a disdain for commonly accepted knowledge is buttressed by claims of “private”, “special” insights into "the real truth" insider knowledge of conspiracies, information available only to the initiated, or truths "revealed" to individuals. But such claims to esoteric knowledge by the supposedly savvy are merely forms of ignorance in elaborate disguise.
