carlbergstrom.com profile picture

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com
  1. "'Trusting the experts is not a feature of either a science or democracy," Kennedy said."

It's literally a vital feature of both science and of representative democracy.

I've written a fair bit about trust in expertise as a vital mechanism in the collective epistemology of science.

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. sat down with Scripps News for a wide-ranging interview, discussing mRNA vaccine funding policy changes and a recent shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

RFK Jr. in interview with Scripps News: ‘Trusting the experts is not science’

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. sat down with Scripps News for a wide-ranging interview, discussing mRNA vaccine funding policy changes and a recent shooting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Replies

  1. carlbergstrom.com profile picture

    Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com

    1. When I give seminars about this, I ask my (professional scientist) audience "How many of you believe that anthropogenic climate change is real?"

    Almost all hands raise.

    I then ask "How many of you have read the IPCC report or equivalent"

    Fewer than 25% of hands raise.

    4
  3. pollik.bsky.social profile picture

    Pollik @pollik.bsky.social

    The alternative is to do your own independent expert research.

    RFK's qualification for that is a masters in law at Harvard.

    So...trusting the experts it is, then.

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  5. 1717pete.bsky.social profile picture

    Peter Butler @1717pete.bsky.social

    This is like the kids game that what you should really have said is the exact opposite of what you actually said. RFK is a hazard to your health

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  9. himself132.bsky.social profile picture

    Dr Eric Farmer @himself132.bsky.social

    The UK Tories also tried to undermine trust in experts. They don’t like to be pinned down by facts, and don’t want to have an educated electorate that will see through their bullshit.

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  10. scotclose.com profile picture

    Scot Close @scotclose.com

    Maybe we should not take advice from someone who seems opposed to both science and democracy?

    1
  13. dgermanuci.bsky.social profile picture

    Donovan P. German @dgermanuci.bsky.social

    Let me get this straight. RFK put a complete quack in charge a massive vaccine study. Why? Because RFK thinks he is an expert (despite universities & funding agencies saying the opposite for his whole career). So, if RFK says we shouldn't trust experts, then we shouldn't trust his chosen expert?

    1
  15. maudhd.bsky.social profile picture

    Maud @maudhd.bsky.social

    Let’s trust some street random people opinion and rejected idiot looking for revanche against scientific institutions…

    What can go wrong…

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  16. ritterteufeltod.bsky.social profile picture

    Testudo Aubrei @ritterteufeltod.bsky.social

    This is my frustration with a lot of pop science and pro ‘critical thinking’ rhetoric. People need the ability to discern real expertise, they can’t gain the ability to critically evaluate everything they hear on the merits.

    1
  18. dirkelee.bsky.social profile picture

    @dirkelee.bsky.social

    Sigh...Trusting the ignorant uneducated fool always is the best way to to go, Right? 🙄

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  20. eugeniast.bsky.social profile picture

    Eugenia of Cats @eugeniast.bsky.social

    “My opinions about vaccines are irrelevant. I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.” RFK Jr speaking to congress in May ‘25

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  21. helloandrew.bsky.social profile picture

    Hello Andrew @helloandrew.bsky.social

    Appeals to authority are a good example of the fact that a formal logical fallacy can also be a truthful statement of fact, depending on the specific content and context. I think RFK is confusing college debate club with actual science and real life.

    1
  24. librarian.be profile picture

    Patrick Vanhoucke @librarian.be

    Exactly as you explain. RFK Jr. is probably one of those people who says, "Do your own research!" What does that imply? That I first have to obtain a PhD in some speciality and then set up my own research lab? And do that over and over again to investigate everything myself? Of course not. 1/2

    1
  25. wndlb.bsky.social profile picture

    WndlB @wndlb.bsky.social

    Have you fallen through the floor of your entryway, or are you relying on the expertise of your homebuilder (and the local government inspector)?

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  26. bobblakley.bsky.social profile picture

    🦩Bob🦩 @bobblakley.bsky.social

    What is his proposed alternative? Trusting the ignorant? Trusting the zealots? Trusting the rich? Trusting the powerful?

    You can’t beat a horse with no horse.

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  27. gooscolleen.bsky.social profile picture

    Colleen Goos @gooscolleen.bsky.social

    As a diabetic woman, I can say that this guy is second only to Trump as one of the most dangerous people in the admin. He's literally reaching in to control our bodies. Is it o.k. to ask questions? Absolutely. As long as you don't plug in your conspiracies that have been long disproven 1/

    1
  28. patrickgillbert.bsky.social profile picture

    @patrickgillbert.bsky.social

    Ich bin zufällig auf dein profil gestoßen, und ich muss sagen, dass du etwas sehr angenehmes ausstrahlst. Ich hoffe, Sie finden diese Nachricht nicht zu direkt, es ist nur ein neugieriges kleines Hallo.

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  31. sam1am4bg.bsky.social profile picture

    @sam1am4bg.bsky.social

    Listening to a man w/a brain-worm, an admitted heroin addict & clinical moron is what can only be described as utterly insane. Only Donold Grump would deem this guy employable in any capacity. And the rest of the country just accepting this ridiculousness marks the end of humanity. We had a good run

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  32. hoaxmedaddy.bsky.social profile picture

    Hoaxmedaddy @hoaxmedaddy.bsky.social

    does not rfk jr see himself as an expert. is that not who he feels he is assigning to these roles? They cant scream AH SCARY EXPERT while they currently sit with the mantle. It's like removing everyone richer than you and saying eat the rich

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  33. spocks7yearitch.bsky.social profile picture

    Spock’s 7 Year Itch @spocks7yearitch.bsky.social

    Once you understand his role is to destroy American scientific institutions it all makes sense.

    He’s not there to advance anything. The goal is eugenics by denial of care and the destruction of consensus reality.

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  34. denbuddy.bsky.social profile picture

    Jerry/Denver @denbuddy.bsky.social

    In the VP debate last fall, JD Vance said we should stop trusting experts and rely instead on "common sense." He and Trump campaigned on this. They won. Now they are implementing it openly. We should not be surprised.

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  35. davidcd12.bsky.social profile picture

    @davidcd12.bsky.social

    This guy understands next to nothing about science or public policy. His statements are full of logical contradictions. E.g. we wont tell people what to do but give them information so public officials can make policy .., policy is a guiding statement .. so he is.. oh I give up. he’s an idiot.

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  38. sasyecat.bsky.social profile picture

    Sasyecat @sasyecat.bsky.social

    Well, the experts told us my son he has type one diabetes, but he doesn't want to have it. So we'll ignore it and see how that goes. 🙄

    Idiots get people unalived.

    That 🧠🪱 definitely starved to death.

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  52. brucewilson.bsky.social profile picture

    Bruce Wilson @brucewilson.bsky.social

    Rather than trust scientists, we should trust some guy who says he may have gotten a brain worm from meat he scavenged from the side of the road?

    Uh huh.

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  56. deut2314.bsky.social profile picture

    @deut2314.bsky.social

    If only he said "Trusting experts in podcasting is not science," he'd have a valid point.

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  57. be-zen.bsky.social profile picture

    @be-zen.bsky.social

    So if you can't trust the experts, who can you trust?

    These fascist bastards want to be the only authority on everything under the sun. No intelligence required.

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  59. jlp2024.bsky.social profile picture

    @jlp2024.bsky.social

    Most importantly this is true of all human endeavors. Music, sports, the arts, literature, film, law, etc. Nobody knows everything in any field or even sub sub sub field

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  61. mickeymurray.bsky.social profile picture

    @mickeymurray.bsky.social

    I wish he would bring his car into my shop for a brake job. A bunch of neighborhood kids need some work.

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  62. frangsbo.bsky.social profile picture

    Honest J @frangsbo.bsky.social

    Does any of your writing address this in the frame of analytic epistemology or philosophy of science? Just curious, this is closely related to stuff I'm working on my spare time.

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  63. nancyleigh.bsky.social profile picture

    Nancy Leigh @nancyleigh.bsky.social

    JFK jr has no business determining the efficacy of science by not using science and telling all of US to trust him over scientific experts.

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  64. yehtiweelz.bsky.social profile picture

    Big Steve @yehtiweelz.bsky.social

    I will not be reading anything written by this lunatic. He obviously has burned a hole in his last spoon...oops, maybe not yet. After this job, he may want to consider taking up ballooning.

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  65. in-prose93.bsky.social profile picture

    CtK @in-prose93.bsky.social

    Then it’s all about faith? A leap of faith So now we the people are going to switch our thinking & start believing in your twist, slant Ever sleep in a bed that’s slanted Downward or walking in logger boots Let me tell you both are uncomfortable. Never suited to give rest

    1
  67. fuelpodcast.bsky.social profile picture

    @fuelpodcast.bsky.social

    Malcolm Gladwell talks about this in Revenge of the Tipping Point. Waldorf schools where conventional medicine is just one form of knowledge. RFK has been immersed in group think along these lines. He's not dumb - he just thinks he knows better - and that's more dangerous.

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  70. stevemccluskey.bsky.social profile picture

    Steve McCluskey @stevemccluskey.bsky.social

    I first learned of the value of scientific consensus reading Thomas Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions. If that’s too long, read his provocatively titled essay, “The Function of Dogma in Scientific Research.”

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  71. missscarlett22.bsky.social profile picture

    @missscarlett22.bsky.social

    This administration is like an elongated episode of Punk'd. Like how much of this are we going to fall for before Ashton pops out & reveals that it's all a ruse?

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  75. johns61.bsky.social profile picture

    @johns61.bsky.social

    "Long-term use of heroin has also been linked to changes in the physical structure of the brain and a deterioration of the brain’s white matter. This can affect certain cognitive skills, such as: decision-making behavior regulation response to stress."

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  77. violainea.bsky.social profile picture

    Violaine Arès @violainea.bsky.social

    Experts, like other humans, make mistakes. Some of them, like other humans, are incompetent or crooks. HOWEVER, whenever there is consensus among experts, it’s sensible to follow these experts’ advice. Grossly misleading ppl such as RFK Jr should NOT be trusted, esp if they advocate refuted claims.

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  79. rowyourbot.bsky.social profile picture

    Ozma @rowyourbot.bsky.social

    When you think about it—he’s the most fascist and Nazi-like of all of them in a way. He gives us such a perfect glimpse at the psychology that birthed millions of sorrows within a variety of authoritarian political systems.

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  82. jackwrangl.bsky.social profile picture

    Jack Wrangl @jackwrangl.bsky.social

    Part of science is knowing that you don't know, and especially not presuming knowledge. Theories are always pursued with the knowledge that the theory may be inaccurate or plain wrong.

    Assuming that "you can't trust the experts" because of vibes and presumed knowledge is no scientific method.

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  84. roccaworld.bsky.social profile picture

    Roccaworld @roccaworld.bsky.social

    Fuck you, universities “breaking the law.” What laws exactly? Protesting against Israel’s horrific genocide against Gazans isn’t anti-semitism. (I wound argue Elon’s Nazi salute what count, however.) Trans athletes in sports is not a crime.

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  86. mileslynd.bsky.social profile picture

    @mileslynd.bsky.social

    It is appalling that in a supposedly sophisticated society that anyone pays any attention to bloviation of this ignorant piece of wormwood.

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  92. bcwbcw.bsky.social profile picture

    @bcwbcw.bsky.social

    And the interviewer didn't ask the follow up question: "so how do you decide who to trust?" and go into the amount of lies on the internet.

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  93. philo-07.bsky.social profile picture

    @philo-07.bsky.social

    RFK Jr. still a POS heroin user and eater of roadkill sez "heres to your health".😆

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  95. ebcollis.bsky.social profile picture

    Striving for Zen @ebcollis.bsky.social

    If by “expert” he means grifting sex pests with a heroin habit and a brain worm then yeah,don’t trust that guy.If by “expert” he means people who have spent an entire career researching and innovating in a particular field,well I trust them way more than that other guy mentioned above.Weird that way

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  101. twoo60.bsky.social profile picture

    Gloria 👻☮️ @twoo60.bsky.social

    Why trust experts when you have a worm brained drug addicted failure-with-a-famous-name-status-seeking sycophantic cunt telling you his conspiracy theories as fact?

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  106. dschatsky.bsky.social profile picture

    David Schatsky @dschatsky.bsky.social

    I trust him because he says "A Big Mac costs, you know, I think $9 now," even though The Economist says the average price in the U.S. is $5.79. But they only rely on fact checkers and editors, whereas Kennedy uses ChatGPT and conspiracy theorists. www.tastingtable.com/1839378/how-...

    While fast food was once a cheap way to enjoy a meal, it has increasingly becoming an expensive treat instead. No where is this more true than with the Big Mac.

    Here's How Much A McDonald's Big Mac Cost In 2000 Vs 2025 - Tasting Table

    While fast food was once a cheap way to enjoy a meal, it has increasingly becoming an expensive treat instead. No where is this more true than with the Big Mac.
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  116. gdalander.bsky.social profile picture

    Geoff Dalander @gdalander.bsky.social

    Beauty of science is, you can 'trust but verify' with repeatable data

    You don't have to 'believe in' science. Science is demonstrably true (or not)

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  117. makemineoolong.bsky.social profile picture

    Crazy Dave fr SFA @makemineoolong.bsky.social

    The argument from authority is basic. The argument from insufficient authority is what RFK jr is all about. Let's try to drown out his crappy ignorant voice & leave his reputation crushed on the roadside, where it belongs.

    Donaldo delenda est

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  119. megcastiel.bsky.social profile picture

    AuDHD Chronically Ill @megcastiel.bsky.social

    I don't think it's even just trusting experts. It's trusting in the process of accountability. If someone is engaging in bad or dangerous science (Andrew Wakefield, for example), they WILL get caught and experience consequences.

    That's not true in politics, though.

    1
  121. laketahoephoto.bsky.social profile picture

    @laketahoephoto.bsky.social

    It is only sensible to ascribe more weight to the opinions of someone who has studied the subject than to someone who has not.

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  122. jasoncross.org profile picture

    Jason Cross @jasoncross.org

    There is such a thing as the fallacy of the argument from authority, sure.

    But you’re supposed to replace it with empirical evidence, not just whatever vibes you like.

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  124. webrant.bsky.social profile picture

    web_rant @webrant.bsky.social

    Secretary of Harm RFK Jr demands you trust 20 year heroin addicts instead.

    To guide public health until enough people are dead.

    To concentrate more record capital.

    bsky.app/profile/carl...

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  130. str8grandmother.bsky.social profile picture

    Str8Grandmother @str8grandmother.bsky.social

    I have no desire or need to read the scripps article. I already KNOW how demented RFK Jr's thinking is. The only thing we can do is survive, survive until the next Presidential election.

    0
  131. wisakedjak.bsky.social profile picture

    JP @wisakedjak.bsky.social

    Experienced practitioners have a higher probability of success. It's why we don't hire janitors to perform brain surgeries.

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  135. @cps10001.bsky.social

    Scientists have to prove their observations by experiments. Politicians say anything without proof and cause considerable damage.

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  137. ashonastar.bsky.social profile picture

    Ash on a Star✨️ @ashonastar.bsky.social

    That man's statements are a wild stance when"trusting in experts" has long been considered one of the main reasons (in anthropological theory) for the success of modern humankind... the whole "cross generational social/cooperative learning" thing is kind of a big deal...

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  139. fingbullshit.bsky.social profile picture

    @fingbullshit.bsky.social

    A scientific study of the long term effects of brain worms & heroin addiction on critical thinking…

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  141. ctimmermann.bsky.social profile picture

    Carsten Timmermann @ctimmermann.bsky.social

    Arguably, the realisation that we need experts that can be trusted is the one main reason why state-funded science as we know it in modern societies since the late 19th century exists.

    1
  144. raulenandrovius.bsky.social profile picture

    Gen 13 | Snowcrash @raulenandrovius.bsky.social

    Ah yes, RFK jr appeals to the lowest common denominator by using emotional appeal and hypocrisy to sow doubt rather than support critical thinking.

    It's like he has a fascist tyrannical agenda or something.

    0
  146. experimental22.bsky.social profile picture

    @experimental22.bsky.social

    Better to trust experts than nutjobs who dump bears in Central Parks and ride around with whales on this roof and sexually harass/assault women.

    0
  149. susannahredelfs.bsky.social profile picture

    @susannahredelfs.bsky.social

    The opinion of some rando “doing their own research” on a few websites of unknown provenance is now seen as more valid than the opinion of someone who studied actual facts in their field for years or even decades.

    We are so done in this country.

    I wish that brainworm would devour him faster.

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  150. jasoncampbell617.bsky.social profile picture

    @jasoncampbell617.bsky.social

    He's just another example of the stupidity and ignorance that all the people in this administration are required to possess for the roles they've been appointed to.

    0
  155. jimwaterworks.bsky.social profile picture

    @jimwaterworks.bsky.social

    Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein....and furthermore.Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein, Epstein etc...

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  157. vitanuova.bsky.social profile picture

    Vitanuova @vitanuova.bsky.social

    Lawyers like RFKjr think “experts” dictate “the final word”. Scientists understand this as “the best word so far, to be relied on to the extent that evidence supports it”. RFKjr isn’t comfortable with the notion that human understanding is incomplete and we must act with informed uncertainty.

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  158. delevenz.bsky.social profile picture

    Del Evenz @delevenz.bsky.social

    "Y'all just don't understand. See about 2 out of every thousand experts gets a few things wrong sometimes. Therefore the entire structure of trusting experts isn't perfect, thereforemore the reason we can't trust any!

    Caveman didn't have this problem and he seemed happy?"

    • RFK Jr stans, probably

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  159. its-its.bsky.social profile picture

    Victoria 📚 @its-its.bsky.social

    This guy is a total moron and only dumber morons believe guys like this, Trump, Hegseth, Homan, Noem, and the rest of that circus.

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  166. mattscie.bsky.social profile picture

    Pills of Science🧬🦋 @mattscie.bsky.social

    This man is embarrassing: his competence and relevance to the world of science is nonexistent. Anything he says is wrong and/or misleading. He can be used as a guide: listen to what RFK Jr. says and do the exact opposite of what he says to safeguard your health.

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  177. cer404.bsky.social profile picture

    @cer404.bsky.social

    To be fair most of these people like RFK Jr know that it's real. But they are grifters. Huge grifters getting paid a lot of money to lie to the public and manipulate naive people into voting for the party that's making life worse for everyone so that oligarchs can make trillions.

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  182. abrxs.bsky.social profile picture

    Abraxas @abrxs.bsky.social

    Distrusting the experts is a feature of the nutjobs and the conspiracy theorists.

    Blindly attacking long held scientific and democratic norms for no other reason than they are long held norms is shallow and juvenile.

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  185. halifaxrunner.bsky.social profile picture

    Mike @halifaxrunner.bsky.social

    He may have read about the fallacy of expertise and is now confused what it really means, instead of what he thinks it means.

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  187. jrinia.bsky.social profile picture

    @jrinia.bsky.social

    Do you think for a second that he realizes how incredibly ignorant he sounds when he says thing like this? " ... not a feature of science or democracy." Really? Are you f-ing kidding me? And this man is in charge of our nation's health policy?! What a colossal cluster*uck. Anyone else embarrassed?

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