Psychology Today | 01.05.2026 04:42
Anti-intellectualism is often explained away as ignorance. That is a convenient story, but it is far too simplistic. Many people who distrust experts are not uninformed, irrational, or incapable of thought. Some are highly articulate, politically aware, and selective in the expertise they choose to trust. They may rely on engineers to build bridges, surgeons to perform operations, or accountants to manage taxes, while simultaneously rejecting economists, climate scientists, university academics, or public-health authorities. The issue is rarely intelligence alone. More often, it is rooted in trust, identity, status, and how people psychologically respond to authority (Hofstadter, 1963).
