--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is not a trivial obstacle when it…" description: "\"“This is not a trivial obstacle when it comes to the problems of expert engagement with the public: nearly 30 percent of Americans, for example, think ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/thomas-m-nichols-8933_politics_this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-c_1132007.jpg" --- # This is not a trivial obstacle when it comes to the… ![“This is not a trivial obstacle when it comes to the problems of expert engagement with the public: nearly 30 percent of Americans, for example, think “a secretive elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world,” and 15 percent think media or government add secret…” quote by Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/thomas-m-nichols-8933_politics_this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-c_1132007.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/thomas-m-nichols-8933_politics_this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-c_1132007.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/thomas-m-nichols-8933_politics_this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-c_1132007.jpg) > ““This is not a trivial obstacle when it comes to the problems of expert engagement with the public: nearly 30 percent of Americans, for example, think “a secretive elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world,” and 15 percent think media or government add secret “mind-controlling” technology to TV broadcasts. (Another 15 percent aren’t quite sure about the television issue.)”” [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many Americans distrust elites and media, believing in conspiracies about hidden control, which hampers expert communication. **In simple terms:** People suspect secret plots, making public dialogue hard. Key Takeaway Address misinformation directly. Themes trust communication conspiracy public discourse Mood skeptical concerned Type analytical critical When to use this quote - political campaigns - news consumption - science outreach - policy debates Key Concepts cognitive bias media literacy political polarization Questions to Reflect On - How can experts rebuild trust? - What evidence most challenges conspiracy thinking? A Different Perspective Not all citizens share these beliefs; some are open to evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Media Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media-government-3115901/) [Mind Controlling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-controlling-3115899/) [Percent Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent-think-1246099/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rule the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-the-world/) [Think Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-media/) [Think Secretive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-secretive-3115900/) ## Related quotes > [“Yes, whoa! The power of the mind controlled the blood flow. How? Who knows. But it happens. So in cases of stigmata—like the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/yes-whoa-the-power-of-the-mind-controlled-the-blood-flow-how-who/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [Washington is like playing the Super Bowl, only there are no timeouts, no potty breaks, and the arena is filled with the media. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiree-rogers/washington-is-like-playing-the-super-bowl-only-there-are-no-timeouts/) [Desiree Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiree-rogers/) > [The consensual seduction of the mainstream media by and with the government is one of the most dangerous toxins at work in America today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/the-consensual-seduction-of-the-mainstream-media-by-and-with-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [The increasing diversification of media ecosystems after decades of state control, along with new digital tools that allow for greater citizen engagement, have led…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ory-okolloh/the-increasing-diversification-of-media-ecosystems-after-decades-of/) [Ory Okolloh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ory-okolloh/) > [I'm saying that there's way more to 9/11 than mainstream media and our government have told us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-m-saying-that-there-s-way-more-to-9-11-than-mainstream-media-and/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [When the people believe that the print media and the government-controlled TV are not really reporting what is happening, then people turn away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/when-the-people-believe-that-the-print-media-and-the-government/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [I am not a monster. I'm not all bad. Maybe 10 percent. I think I'm 90 percent good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/i-am-not-a-monster-i-m-not-all-bad-maybe-10-percent-i-think-i-m-90/) [John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/) > [Two percent of the people think; three percent think they think, and 95 percent would rather die than think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/two-percent-of-the-people-think-three-percent-think-they-think-and-95/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9 percent of everything you think, and of everything you do, is for yourself—and there isn’t one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wei-wu-wei/why-are-you-unhappy-because-99-9-percent-of-everything-you-think-and-2/) [Wei Wu Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wei-wu-wei/) > [The most encouraging sign is that 71 percent of the public believe the system is profoundly corrupted by the power of money. Ninety-six percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/the-most-encouraging-sign-is-that-71-percent-of-the-public-believe/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [“Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9 percent Of everything you think, And of everything you do, Is for yourself — And there isn’t one.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-fuller/why-are-you-unhappy-because-99-9-percent-of-everything-you-think-and/) [Robert W. Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-fuller/) > [“Why aren't you happy? It's because ninety-nine percent of everything you do, and think, and say, is for yourself -- and there isn't one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wu-wei-wei/why-aren-t-you-happy-it-s-because-ninety-nine-percent-of-everything/) [Wu Wei Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wu-wei-wei/) > [For someone to promise a percentage type cure for this issue, for instance I had someone who said they had experienced a 90 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-chambers/for-someone-to-promise-a-percentage-type-cure-for-this-issue-for/) [Alan Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-chambers/) > [Most of us form estimates of our intelligence, wisdom, and moral fiber that are considerably higher than an objective estimate would warrant; no doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-plantinga/most-of-us-form-estimates-of-our-intelligence-wisdom-and-moral-fiber/) [Alvin Plantinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-plantinga/) > [...it is fifty percent what they see, and fifty percent what they think they see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/it-is-fifty-percent-what-they-see-and-fifty-percent-what-they-think/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) ## More by Thomas M. Nichols > [“Conspiracy theorists manipulate all tangible evidence to fit their explanation, but worse, they will also point to the absence of evidence as even stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/conspiracy-theorists-manipulate-all-tangible-evidence-to-fit-their/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“Today, by contrast, students explode over imagined slights that are not even remotely in the same category as fighting for civil rights or being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/today-by-contrast-students-explode-over-imagined-slights-that-are-not/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“And when voters lose control of these important decisions, they risk the hijacking of their democracy by ignorant demagogues, or the more quiet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/and-when-voters-lose-control-of-these-important-decisions-they-risk/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“As the economic writer Ben Casselman pointed out in 2016, most college applicants “never have to write a college entrance essay, pad a résumé…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/as-the-economic-writer-ben-casselman-pointed-out-in-2016-most-college/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“People do not come to the Internet so that their bad information can be corrected or their cherished theories disproven. Rather, they ask the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/people-do-not-come-to-the-internet-so-that-their-bad-information-can/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“If the public has no idea about the substance of an issue, and will vote based on who they like rather than what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/if-the-public-has-no-idea-about-the-substance-of-an-issue-and-will/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“The issue is not indifference to established knowledge; it’s the emergence of a positive hostility to such knowledge. This is new in American culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/the-issue-is-not-indifference-to-established-knowledge-it-s-the/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“At the root of all this is an inability among laypeople to understand that experts being wrong on occasion about certain issues is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/at-the-root-of-all-this-is-an-inability-among-laypeople-to-understand/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“The requirements of a degree in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), a demanding foreign language, or a rigorous degree in the humanities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/the-requirements-of-a-degree-in-a-stem-field-science-technology/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“In 2015, a Massachusetts accountant named Stephen Pasceri lost his seventy-eight-year-old mother to cardiovascular disease. Mrs. Pasceri had a long history of health trouble,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/in-2015-a-massachusetts-accountant-named-stephen-pasceri-lost-his/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/there-is-a-cult-of-ignorance-in-the-united-states-and-there-always/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“The modern media, with so many options tailored to particular views, is a huge exercise in confirmation bias. This means that Americans are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/the-modern-media-with-so-many-options-tailored-to-particular-views-is/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“Americans no longer distinguish the phrase “you’re wrong” from the phrase “you’re stupid.” To disagree is to disrespect. To correct another is to insult.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/americans-no-longer-distinguish-the-phrase-you-re-wrong-from-the/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“There aren’t enough pages in this or any other book to catalog the amount of bad information on the Internet. Miracle cures, conspiracy theories,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/there-aren-t-enough-pages-in-this-or-any-other-book-to-catalog-the/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) > [“Populism actually reinforces this elitism, because the celebration of ignorance cannot launch communications satellites, negotiate the rights of US citizens overseas, or provide for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/populism-actually-reinforces-this-elitism-because-the-celebration-of/) [Thomas M. Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) [Explore all 76 Thomas M. Nichols quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/) ## More Journalism quotes > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [One lesson to learn is that the press and the broadcasters are not neutral. And it seems we have to learn it each time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/one-lesson-to-learn-is-that-the-press-and-the-broadcasters-are-not/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) > [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Newspapers have an extraordinary amount of local content, including real estate listings and restaurant reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimbal-musk/newspapers-have-an-extraordinary-amount-of-local-content-including/) [Kimbal Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimbal-musk/) > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Drill in exact translation is an excellent way of disposing the mind against that looseness and exaggeration with which the sensationalists have corrupted our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/drill-in-exact-translation-is-an-excellent-way-of-disposing-the-mind/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [People think they're getting objective information, but they're not. They're getting news wrapped up in opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-samuels/people-think-they-re-getting-objective-information-but-they-re-not/) [Lynn Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-samuels/) [Browse all 8,189 Journalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is not a trivial obstacle when it comes to the problems of expert engagement with the public: nearly 30 percent of Americans, for example, think “a secretive elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world,” and 15 percent think media or government add secret “mind-controlling” technology to TV broadcasts. (Another 15 percent aren’t quite sure about the television issue.)”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas M. Nichols" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-comes-to-the-problems-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Journalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-comes-to-the-problems-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/thomas-m-nichols-8933_politics_this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-c_1132007.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/thomas-m-nichols-8933_politics_this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-c_1132007.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/thomas-m-nichols-8933_politics_this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-c_1132007.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is not a trivial obstacle when it comes to the problems of expert engagement with the public: nearly 30…” — Thomas M. Nichols", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas M. Nichols", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-m-nichols/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“This is not a trivial obstacle...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-comes-to-the-problems-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-m-nichols/this-is-not-a-trivial-obstacle-when-it-comes-to-the-problems-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```