There's a saying -- the challenge to intellect is knowing enough about a subject to think you're right, while understanding enough of it to realize where you're wrong.
That basically sums up Bro-Science.
There have been myths in the basic fitness field for decades. Stuff like, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." " Lifting weights will make you stiff." "You get all the vitamins you need from food. etc, etc" . They're merely statements that sound plausible but aren't necessarily true. Still, people parroted them over and over and those who did, thought of themselves as "informed." In the case of steroids, at first, all we had was the medical evaluation and it was Dan Duchaine who brought the practical, cosmetic, bodybuilding perspective regard their potential into a new light. It was a revelation, and a chance for the average gym rat to actually have some scientific knowledge. But much of that information was wrong as well. Dan Duchaine himself said to me, '"Because the AMA got so many things wrongs, we started to think we were smarter than them. But we weren't. "
There are dozens of examples of myths that are "bro-science " right here on the boards but I'm not going to say what they are because much of it is from the so called "respected bros." And it'll just lead to an argument I'd rather not have. That's how it works on message boards. A few people with a little more knowledge than a total newbie establish themselves as experts and everyone gets in line to follow what they say. If anyone disagrees they're promptly put down. There's a false sense of security and strength is numbers. It allows people to remain ignorant while having enough like minded people convince them that they're on the right track. This is why cliques are formed. Everyone wants to be a member of a club. A crew. A gang. The nerd becomes the bully. Because they have back up.
And ironically, THEY are the people who will be the first to claim that anything with which they dsagree is the "bro-science." They are honestly unaware of they're own cluelessness.
Obviously, there are some guys on boards and on Youtube who are very knowledgable. And it's okay to have a different perspective on things. But there are many others who honestly have no idea what they're talking about. And it isn't that they're stupid. They're simply learned a lot of wrong information.
it's a case of a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing -- especially when dealing with the illegal application of potentially dangerous drugs. People are taking advice from total strangers many of whom are morons, idiots, criminal and psychopaths.
I was asked to come on tha board as an expert, but that dynamic quickly changed once some of the resident experts felt their status was being questioned. That's when every possible attack was made with emphasis on my being older. No longer were my years of expertise valued. They were a detriment and easy to ridicule. It's easy to claim that someone older is out of touch. It's a cliche' that people will believe. There's another old saying, "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. " And that's okay. I've come to accept that. There's actually a zen-like calm in the understanding that one simply has more knowledge than others can comprehend and that other's lack of understanding is their obstacle to overcome, not mine.
And that's the way Bro-Science works. You can be a Bro-scientist too!!! All you need to do is cut and past a study and you're an expert. If someone offers a rebuttal, stand your ground. Get some buddies to agree with you so you can collectively shut down and deride the guy who disagrees. And go gleefully on your way glowing in the bliss of your ignorance.
To which I will quote the Buddha -- Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.”
Then again...you have to have common sense. And that can be pretty uncommon.
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Originally Posted by Mobster
