Our proclivity to believe things that are false.

[thoughtischange]

With the human mind comes a complex psychological aspect that wraps around our logic and emotion. It alters each individual’s reality and interpretation of experience, logic and emotion. We must know the drawbacks of such a mind, realize that we are prey to gullibility. An important realization is the awareness that we can think we know something that in fact is not true.

This is the one main problem we need to be extremely cognizant of, our ability to be misled and not even realize it. Anything we “know” that we have not proven is subject to this. And by proven I mean vigorous, to the bone fact. You have to always be aware of it, argue with yourself in believing something that agrees with you, makes your brain shoot off happy chemicals that purr in joyous celebration at a particular notion. We can not allow this aspect of the self to continue creating a world of hate and lies. That is the world we have made, allow to exist and is there due to this one trait.

Something to think about is why we do it with such ease and frequency…

I have hope for humanity even thought it's tested over and over again with the truly ridiculous things we believe and do. I think it is the responsibility of those of us who have recognized how the human mind "believes" and has "faith" in things to make those blinded by their beliefs aware of it. It's a constant battle, I assure you, but I have made ground with some pretty fanatic folks on christian sites that keeps me going.

my blog: http://www.thoughtischange.wordpress.com

[Zatamon]

(22-08-2011 08:38 AM)thoughtischange Wrote:  This is the one main problem we need to be extremely cognizant of, our ability to be misled and not even realize it. Anything we “know” that we have not proven is subject to this. ........ We can not allow this aspect of the self to continue creating a world of hate and lies. That is the world we have made, allow to exist and is there due to this one trait.

I don't understand how people don't do it habitually -- examine and reexamine every piece of 'knowledge' they think theye have.

We have been lied to so many times, blatantly, demonstrably (e.g. WMD), our scientists and engineers were wrong so many times, one would think that people would stop believing everything they are told, as a habit, until their own personal experience and research convince them that something, in fact, is actually true.

Quote:I have made ground with some pretty fanatic folks on christian sites that keeps me going.

Some example would be welcome and encouraging for those of us who have already given up on humanity as a failed experiment.