@monarchist @dcc @mina @Scubbie @freepatriot @na @eriner @sun I think people are indeed too literal-minded, so the remark about castigating the Pharisees is accurate, and not just about rules, but anything: you say "a couple dozen" and if it's 23 or 25, they lose their shit. This tendency spills over to the news, where they assume that numbers burst from the heads of experts, in full battle dress: you ask "How did they get that figure?" and they have no answer, because the question doesn't even make sense: they think food comes from the supermarket and numbers come from journalists.
Have you read "The Savage Mind"? I think they way it ties into this topic might be of interest to you.
the_savage_mind--claude_levi-strauss.pdf