There is a problem – perhaps widespread today – where many educated people seem to have difficulty processing facts, logic – literally details. I saw a former high level political operative bemoaning the hearings about Dr. Fauci and Covid-19 – with his arguing that this was six years ago, so who cares? He then went on to say that today’s “measles outbreaks” were far more important than re-hasing Covid six years later.

What he missed: As of August 2026, according to the CDC, the total cumulative deaths from measles in the United States in 2026 is … zero. The measles outbreak has impacted a few thousand, there is a highly effective vaccine available, 93% of the population has immunity – possibly 95% when we include those who are vaccinted and those who had measles as a child before the vaccine was available. Today’s measles outbreak is definitely not comparable to Covid-19, nor have we shut down society due to Covid.

Comparing today’s measles outbreaks, affecting almost no one, to Covid is an error of logic.

A similar issue are the many who seem unable to read a lengthier text or follow even simple logical arguments – despite having college degrees, even graduate degrees. They may even bemoan there are too many details.

This inability to process details, facts and logic appears wide spread in the population and may account for much of the animosity that occurs. It is impossible to rationally argue with someone who is incapable of processing facts and logic.

What do we call this?

1. Functional Innumeracy or Logic Deficits

If the struggle is with facts, numbers, or logical progression, the term might be functional innumeracy (if numbers are involved) or a lack of critical thinking skills. Education systems often teach what to think (content) rather than how to think (logic, synthesis, and analysis).

2. This -> Cognitive Overload & Attention Economy

Many researchers argue this isn’t a loss of ability but a change in cognitive habits.

The constant stream of short-form content (social media, notifications) has eroded the “attention span” required for deep reading.

• Deep Reading: The ability to engage with complex, linear, and dense text.
• Skimming: The modern default mode of processing information.
  People who have lost the ability to “deep read” often feel overwhelmed by long emails or detailed arguments, not because they are illiterate, but because their brains are conditioned for rapid, shallow processing.

3. “Post-Truth” or Epistemic Confusion

In a broader context, this struggle with facts and logic is sometimes linked to epistemic confusion or the difficulty of navigating information overload. When facts are contested or presented in a fragmented way, even educated individuals may retreat to intuition or emotional reasoning because the cognitive load of verifying facts is too high. We prefer to think in terms of Kahneman’s System 1 gut level thinking – where System 2 requires actual thinking and understanding. Basically, everyone operates in System 1 mode – and is unable to process facts and logic, especially when those facts and logic refute their gut level System 1 response.

Is there a term for this?

There isn’t one term for “educated people who can’t handle complex logic,” but here are the closest concepts:

• Situational Illiteracy: The inability to process specific types of complex text (like legal or technical arguments) despite general literacy.
• Cognitive Laziness (or Cognitive Miser theory): A psychological tendency where people prefer to think in a way that requires the least amount of mental effort, often avoiding complex arguments.
• Digital Dementia: A controversial but popular term describing the decline in cognitive abilities (like attention and memory) due to the overuse of digital technology.

Why this is widespread

A 2023 report by the OECD (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) highlighted that a significant portion of adults in developed nations, including those with higher education, struggle with digital literacy and problem-solving in technology-rich environments.

They can read the words, but they cannot synthesize the information to solve a problem.

Many are suffering from from “erosion of deep reading skills” or “difficulty with cognitive synthesis” They have the tools (literacy) but lack the habit or mental stamina to use them for complex tasks.

The inability to process even modest details leads to closed-minded views of the world, unable to see other perspectives. This may explain the seemingly intractable polarization in society. You cannot reason with someone who is unable to process facts and logic.

I suspect those with extremist political views – left or right – fall well within this camp of mental processing deficits. The more political they are – just check their social media! – the more likely they may suffer from skimming and an inability to process complex arguments.

The more people who get stuck on “skimming” – the more likely that are able to be manipualted by propaganda, as well.