Irony works only where shared self-evidence makes proof superfluous

Evidence

Today, it is rare to hear bold and unqualified statements about sport’s positive racial force (at least in part for a want of supporting empirical verification). But the relative dearth of clearly articulated and empirically supported claims that sport is a positive, progressive racial force does not mean that the notion has fallen out of favor. Quite the contrary, I believe that the absence of empirical investigation and systematic argumentation is actually evidence of how deeply held and commonsensical it has come to be in American culture. The notion that sport is a positive, progressive racial force is more than just an idea, it is an ideology, an idea that has taken on a life of its own. It doesn’t need to be restated or defended. It is cultural commonsense, an article of faith held by Americans, black and white, liberal and conservative, even those who don’t care about sport in any other way. — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 2760 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

For beliefs to serve as effective bulwarks against existential terror, people must be absolutely certain of their validity. However, most of the core beliefs we depend on for psychological security are based on faith rather than fact; they cannot be unambiguously proven. Consequently, the more people who share our beliefs, the more sure we feel that they are correct. If just one person believed that God spoke to Moses in the form of a burning bush, antipsychotic medication would be sought to relieve this poor soul of his florid delusion. But when the same belief is shared by millions of people, it becomes unassailable truth. — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 497 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Some persons embody pure negation while irony posits and denies within one act.; A belief’s lack of supporting evidence signals how deeply it is held as commonsense — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 2760; Shared belief renders delusion indistinguishable from truth — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core: On the Role of…, 497 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• A belief’s lack of supporting evidence signals how deeply it is held as commonsense #corroborates (0.78) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 2760
• Shared belief renders delusion indistinguishable from truth #complicates (0.75) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 497