It started with ignorance which is lack of knowledge.

[TNNurse]

There is plenty of information so someone could learn.

So now, it has become stupidity.

Ignorance by choice, by ignoring information that is available so you could learn.

People really have died. People really have lifelong serious complications.

Vaccines have really decreased deaths and serious illness.

People have chosen to be stupid.

[elleng]

1. IGNORE

[Marcuse]

2. Intellectual Democracy: My ignorance is equal to your expertise.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Academically fascinating, but emotionally heart-breaking phenomenon.

Why does a large swath of the American population hold onto a belief system that endangers the lives of themselves, their children and the rest of society?

A belief system that is soundly refuted by modern science.

A belief system that will come at a great cost from a physical, psychological and financial standpoint?

[sanatanadharma]

8. Wrong-minded 'self-identity' is the root cause

Reality itself must be denied to defend ignorant 'self-identity' that is too tightly mixed up with, defined by, labels, ideas, beliefs, desires, tribes, politics etc.

Hypnotic, programmed royalty to others (tribe) requires, not self-sacrifice, but rather sacrifice of the self, in service to shared delusions.
Fear is the efficient cause of stupidity.

[Irish_Dem]

11. Yes GOP leaders are now cult leaders, encouraging delusions in their followers who are afraid

of any change to their tightly held primitive belief systems.

[tblue37]

9. Propaganda works.

[Irish_Dem]

10. And that is another related phenomenon. Elected officials leading their citizens to slaughter.

Sociopathic or psychotic leaders who lead their followers to their deaths.
And then the followers who go willingly.

[Walleye]

4. Not just ignorant but, proud of it and bragging about it

There’s been a hatred intellectualism among conservatives for a long time. Except of course for their own intellectual. Now they don’t even respect them

[RockRaven]

5. It didn't start with ignorance, it started with abject fealty to their obscene god-king

This is all about their self-image as loyal Trump worshippers.

Information, or lack of it, only enters into the situation as a secondary consideration. It's not really relevant, because it is totally tangential to their thought processes.

[Sneederbunk]

6. Obtuseness.

[bahboo]

7. willful ignorance drives me the fuck insane....