My personal anecdote is very different, but people may find it interesting (like I did yours).
My background is electric utilities. My degree is electrical engineering, and I've worked for utilities for about twelve years.
I used to get in long arguments on reddit over the electric system. What I found was some people had passionate opinions but little personal understanding to support those opinions. This was true on all sides, including those I agreed with.
So now when I look at debates like GMOs, I refrain from jumping to any conclusion. My opinion isn't useful. I don't understand GMOs, and nothing short of a degree in biology will let me understand them. In the meantime, I need to and do look to the science and scientists to summarize it and raise flags if necessary and dispel myths where appropriate.
- now when I look at debates like GMOs, I refrain from jumping to any conclusion.
I'm not sure a person needs a biology degree to be interested, though! IMO interesting stuff can happen when people without technical degrees start messing with new technologies in their basements...
That's true! Having an interest is a good thing as long as people recognize their own limits. When faced with information supporting a counter view, tinkering in the basement or doing some personal research should be encouraged.
Your tribal analogy is a great one. That's a better way of summarizing my block of text above: seeing the tribal responses on both sides of a debate I understood well suggested tribal responses are likely occurring in areas I don't understand well.