Every one you describe suffers from  cognitive dissonance. If they don’t understand it, they are happy in ignorance. Because, if they were wrong, they didn’t know so. Therefore cannot blame themselves. 

IMO, it’s the same mind set that allows people to commit atrocious war crimes. Distancing themselves from the truth in order to justify following the crowd. 

On some level it’s hard not to sympathize, on the other hand, grow some fucking balls and take ownership of your own mind. 

And then I struggle with the thought, well they are probably over worked and eating shitty food so most  barely have the energy to expend just getting home… let alone learn something new. 

The boob tube is then the default. Sad!