Dear Furries: Bullshit and Misinformation WILL Hurt You
Today, I got blocked on Twitter, after having my replies hidden, by a rather popular furry with a largely-young audience because I pointed out he was spreading bullshit pseudoscience.
Silver lining: He deleted the tweets that were spreading bullshit pseudoscience. So don’t worry much about who it was.
Much more of interest is what kind of bullshit he was peddling.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is Bullshit
Everyone has heard of this by now: The MBTI is a personality test that sorts people into one of 16 tribes, predicated on the belief that the entire breadth and depth of the human experience can be expressed into a mere nibble of information:
- Are you an I or an E?
- Are you an N or an S?
- Are you an F or an T?
- Are you a P or a J?
Considering that there are approximately 2³³ humans on the planet, compressing an individual’s personality into a mere 2⁴ possibilities is either one hell of a compression algorithm with unprecedented application for computer science and information security… or it’s so lossy that it’s meaningless.
But don’t take my word for it. Let’s ask some experts!
Okay, so, the Myers-Brigg tests are bogus bullshit. So what?
Misinformation Can and Will Hurt You
Just because you and I are clear on the fact that MBTIs are bullshit doesn’t mean your boss or future employer’s hiring manager is aware of this.
When you spread misinformation online, you are actively participating in the deception of other people.
This can lead to family, friends, and other people you care about being deprived of job opportunities for totally bullshit reasons.
Yes, Furries, That Includes You!
Just because the furry fandom is a comfortable place that many people use as an escape from their stressful lives doesn’t mean that any of us get a pass if we knowingly spread bullshit.
You can still have your fun and games without spreading lies that will only lead to other people being hurt!
Dealing with ignorant bullshit isn’t fun. If you want the fandom to be wholesome fun, do your part by refusing to spread bullshit.
Then everyone can have fun, not just the people you’re unwittingly deceiving. And we’ll all be better off for it.
If you find yourself wondering why America was hit so hard by COVID-19, you’re not alone.
