Comment by ethbr1

It's a good observation, and one I don't think is widely enough appreciated among modern post-COVID, pro-censorship liberals.

Trust primarily by virtue of authority is a bad quality to inculcate in a populace.

Yes, any alternative epistemological basis means you have to deal with Aunt Glenda or Uncle Roy who didn't graduate high school being convinced they're smarter than 'those scientists'.

But we're sliding dangerously close to outsourcing common sense, and the solution isn't encouraging more prostration to expert authority.

It's developing more widespread reasoning from first principles (coupled with curiosity and self-awareness of ones own intellectual limitations).