Listen to reason
Today I was ordering a kebab in pitta for my lunch, and the guy said "Do you want everything on it?". I looked at the different trays of salads, decided I didn't want everything, and said "I'll have onions, gherkins, and tomatoes". As he was doing this, I realised I probably did want some lettuce on it too. But I decided not to say anything. Why?
I'm thinking it was because it would be changing my mind, and we don't like to change our minds. Perhaps because it indicates weakness to others; perhaps indeciveness is a trait that evolution selected against.
How often do we pointlessly put up with something we don't want or a worse way of doing things just because we don't like changing our minds? All the time, I think. It may be: starting to cycle the wrong way somewhere, getting a few yards down the wrong street and realising it, and then reconciling yourself and deciding to go this route anyway, even if it's longer than it would be to turn around and go back (this is far far worse if anybody's watching you; we go to extraordinary lengths never to turn on our heel when people can see us and make us feel stupid). Or it may be ordering some product or foodstuff, being misheard and given the wrong thing (say, you were given a cheese and mushroom pastie instead of cheese and onion), but you only realise while you're paying and you feel it's too late to say anything for some reason. It happens everywhere.
Of course, this is a self-perpetuating thing, a vicious cycle. The longer you leave a decision to change your mind, the more embarrassing it becomes to do so and therefore the harder it is. This is taken to extremes with religious belief. The more you face up to your doubts, and dismiss them, the more emphatic the evidence must be for you to change your opinion, until basically nothing will - the mental consequences of deconstructing the wall of certainty you have built brick by brick with each reaffirmation become so severe that you cannot possibly face it. The brain gets better and better at ignoring contrary evidence.
Actually, it's more than just religion, it's all our core beliefs and values and prejudices. Most of it, of course, learned from childhood when the ability to appraise the incoming information properly is just not present.
People of reason must learn to question every value that passes through their minds. We must lend a brief thought, even if only occasionally, to the possibility that we might not have properly considered the facts on certain subjects. Every time you find yourself doubting some old truth, you should consider it a victory, not a failure. I've started to do this recently and I must say it is quite liberating. I would say that all my beliefs are open to critical reassessment, including my stance on religion. Of course, it would take a hell of a lot to dislodge that one...
I'm thinking it was because it would be changing my mind, and we don't like to change our minds. Perhaps because it indicates weakness to others; perhaps indeciveness is a trait that evolution selected against.
How often do we pointlessly put up with something we don't want or a worse way of doing things just because we don't like changing our minds? All the time, I think. It may be: starting to cycle the wrong way somewhere, getting a few yards down the wrong street and realising it, and then reconciling yourself and deciding to go this route anyway, even if it's longer than it would be to turn around and go back (this is far far worse if anybody's watching you; we go to extraordinary lengths never to turn on our heel when people can see us and make us feel stupid). Or it may be ordering some product or foodstuff, being misheard and given the wrong thing (say, you were given a cheese and mushroom pastie instead of cheese and onion), but you only realise while you're paying and you feel it's too late to say anything for some reason. It happens everywhere.
Of course, this is a self-perpetuating thing, a vicious cycle. The longer you leave a decision to change your mind, the more embarrassing it becomes to do so and therefore the harder it is. This is taken to extremes with religious belief. The more you face up to your doubts, and dismiss them, the more emphatic the evidence must be for you to change your opinion, until basically nothing will - the mental consequences of deconstructing the wall of certainty you have built brick by brick with each reaffirmation become so severe that you cannot possibly face it. The brain gets better and better at ignoring contrary evidence.
Actually, it's more than just religion, it's all our core beliefs and values and prejudices. Most of it, of course, learned from childhood when the ability to appraise the incoming information properly is just not present.
People of reason must learn to question every value that passes through their minds. We must lend a brief thought, even if only occasionally, to the possibility that we might not have properly considered the facts on certain subjects. Every time you find yourself doubting some old truth, you should consider it a victory, not a failure. I've started to do this recently and I must say it is quite liberating. I would say that all my beliefs are open to critical reassessment, including my stance on religion. Of course, it would take a hell of a lot to dislodge that one...
posted by extabgrad at 2:59 PM
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