9,770 Abibisika (Black Gold) Points

Rank: Unranked Newbie

A few years ago an associate of mine tried to debate me about the utility of DNA testing. He is someone who does not believe that our ancestors were taken from Africa, but rather that the maafa (so-called “slave trade) is a massive hoax manufactured by white people to hide our true identity–as native Americans. He failed, during the course of our conversation to demonstrate any meaningful understanding of DNA testing, and the application of such technologies in a range of contexts such as historical population studies, forensics, or even the field of genealogy. I realized the futility of engaging with him further. This was a situation that one of my comrades calls “information asymmetry,” when one party has vastly more information and understanding than another, rendering meaningful dialog impossible. This also reflects the Dunning-Kruger effect, wherein someone overestimates their understanding of something, presuming to know more than they possibly do.

At one point in our exchange, my interlocutor said to me that because I am a researcher, I should know the truth of what he was saying. Somehow he couldn’t see the irony of his words.

It’s sad to have one’s mind captured by such falsehood. It’s even worse not to know it.