Playing Chess with Pigeons: The Struggle Against Dogma and Ignorance
Learn how the vivid metaphor of “playing chess with pigeons” perfectly highlights the futility of engaging with those unwilling to accept reality.
Engaging in discussions with individuals who cling to ignorance, dogma, or unfounded conspiracy theories can often feel like a futile endeavor. Take, for instance, those who deny the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting evolution, climate crisis, or insist on a flat Earth; their arguments are often riddled with misconceptions and cherry-picked facts. Holocaust deniers and extreme MAGA supporters likewise cling to narratives that defy well-documented historic and eyewitness consensus. Such dialogues can be exasperating, as it becomes clear that reasoned debate is lost on those entrenched in their beliefs. The challenge lies not just in presenting facts, but in grappling with the deeply rooted psychological barriers that shield these individuals from accepting reality.
This frustration is encapsulated in the concept of “playing chess with pigeons,” a phrase that highlights the absurdity of arguing with those unwilling to engage constructively. This metaphor, often misattributed to various authors, actually originated from a review by Scott D. Weitzenhoffer on Amazon in March 2005, referring to Eugenie Scott’s book Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction. He wryly observed, “Debating creationists on the topic of evolution is rather like trying to play chess with a pigeon — it knocks the pieces over, craps on the board, and flies back to its flock to claim victory.” Urban Dictionary defines “Pigeon Chess” as engaging in a pointless debate with someone ignorant of the subject, who is firmly entrenched in their dogma and boasts of victory despite lacking substance. Variants of this phrase include “debating with a pigeon” and “pigeon chess match,” all conveying the same sense of futility in engaging with those impervious to logic and reason.
Michael Shermer, a prominent figure in the study of belief systems, has dedicated his career to understanding why individuals gravitate toward unconventional ideas, including conspiracy theories. His research highlights several psychological and social factors that predispose individuals to these beliefs. Cognitive biases, such as pattern recognition and confirmation bias, lead people to see connections where none exist and to favor information that supports their existing beliefs. Additionally, social identity plays a role, as individuals often seek belonging in groups that share their perspectives. Mistrust of authority, a common sentiment in conspiracy theorists, can make official narratives appear suspect, while feelings of powerlessness may drive individuals toward alternative explanations as a means of regaining control. The desire for uniqueness and the emotional comfort found in simplified explanations further reinforce these beliefs. Shermer advocates for critical thinking and reliance on evidence as essential tools in countering these predispositions, urging a return to rational discourse in a landscape increasingly dominated by the irrational.
Few know another influential writer and intellectual would foresaw this concept of “playing chess with pigeons” almost a half-century earlier. For many years, Newsweek magazine contained a feature titled “My Turn” where a notable individual wrote about any issue that they felt was important. For the January 21, 1980 issue, world-renown science fiction writer Isaac Asimov wrote a very thought-provoking essay titled “A Cult of Ignorance” that is as relevant today as it was 44 years ago. Interestingly, the essay was never reprinted in any collection of essays — a disservice to what Asimov saw then and is happening now: the rise of anti-intellectualism. So what does anti-intellectualism mean? Anti-intellectualism, according to Richard Hofstadter, professor of American history at Columbia University, public intellectual, and author of Anti-Intellectualism in American Life (1963), is defined as “resentment and suspicion of the life of the mind and of those who are considered to represent it; and a disposition constantly to minimize the value of that life.” In his essay, Asimov argues that there is a cult of anti-intellectualism in America that perpetuates a very flawed concept of democracy: that every person’s opinion, whether ill-informed or well-informed, is considered equal. Stated another way, in a democracy, equality of rights does not necessarily mean equality of knowledge — an opinion formed on the basis of lies does not have the same significance of an opinion based on objective facts. And this is something that politics parties misuse to their advantage: it is in their best interest to disseminate lies, to perpetuate ignorance — indeed, to create a cult of ignorance — to manipulate the masses.
Here is are key excerpts from the essay:
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
Politicians have routinely striven to speak the language of Shakespeare and Milton as ungrammatically as possible in order to avoid offending their audiences by appearing to have gone to school. Thus, Adlai Stevenson, who incautiously allowed intelligence and learning and wit to peep out of his speeches, found the American people flocking to a Presidential candidate who invented a version of the English language that was all his own and that has been the despair of satirists ever since…
We have a new buzzword, too, for anyone who admires competence, knowledge, learning and skill, and who wishes to spread it around. People like that are called “elitists.” That’s the funniest buzzword ever invented because people who are not members of the intellectual elite don’t know what an “elitist” is, or how to pronounce the word. As soon as someone shouts “Elitist” it becomes clear that he or she is a closet elitist who is feeling guilty about having gone to school…
I contend that the slogan “America’s right to know” is a meaningless one when we have an ignorant population, and that the function of a free press is virtually zero when hardly anyone can read…
We might begin by asking ourselves whether ignorance is so wonderful after all, and whether it makes sense to denounce “elitism.”
I believe that every human being with a physically normal brain can learn a great deal and can be surprisingly intellectual. I believe that what we badly need is social approval of learning and social rewards for learning.
We can all be members of the intellectual elite and then, and only then, will a phrase like “America’s right to know” and, indeed, any true concept of democracy, have any meaning.”
The type of ignorance that Asimove is discussing even has a name: Agnotology, which is defined as the study of intentional, culturally-induced ignorance or doubt. The word is formed by the Greek word agnostos(meaning “not knowing” or “unknown”; formed from a-, “not”, and gnostos, “to be known.”) and the familiar word-forming element –ology (meaning “branch of knowledge or science”). The specific focus of agnotology is the ignorance or doubt achieved by the publication of misleading scientific or medical information by corporations, political parties, government agencies, and advocacy organizations. In a sense, culturally-induced ignorance is a more global or systemic version of gaslighting, the abusive psychological technique of lying, minimizing, or rewriting history to manipulate a partner into believing a deliberately false narrative that causes them to question their sanity.
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