Believing in things that are not real

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
Good subject.

Here is another quote from the article."At its core is the need for the brain to receive confirming information that harmonizes with an individual's existing views and beliefs," said Mark Whitmore, PhD, assistant professor of management and information systems at Kent State University's College of Business Administration. "In fact, one could say the brain is hardwired to accept, reject, misremember or distort information based on whether it is viewed as accepting of or threatening to existing beliefs."

Thank you for reinforcing my beliefs. I feel much happier now.

originally posted by: Nothin
a reply to: rickymouse

Hi RM.

Are you suggesting that there are some beliefs that are real?
Which one(s)?

If something is deemed real: does it still require a belief?

What is a 'real thing', and how do you know it is so?

I believe I need more coffee. I know from experience if I do not have it I get a headache eventually and I lack energy and ability to think correctly. I did try quitting but found that after a week, my ability to reason went way down, I was happy and dumb and was fooled into believing others because I was not able to identify things that were wrong as well.

That is from my own experience, others may not actually have those problems, but to me that information is real because it applies to me. Without the caffeinated coffee I am more of a sucker.

originally posted by: dreamingawake
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

That is very true, people often feel more confident in their personal convictions when confirmation bias proves them right. You see that in organizations.

People tend to hang around with people of their own kind, people who share their beliefs. Of a kind relationships tend to reinforce your beliefs even if those beliefs are not real. Then with confidence these people get more outspoken and sometimes turn into jerks. The internet actually helps to create some of the mass shooters and people doing bad things because it allows people far away to reinforce some people's ill gotten beliefs. Sometimes these people just get their beliefs reinforced by people liking their posts, even though sometimes people just like them because they feel sorry for them, especially in the case of someone talking about suicide. I have no ideas how to fix the false belief reinforcement problems social media has created, people are getting more set in their ways, they tend to only go to sites that reinforce their beliefs

originally posted by: turbonium1

originally posted by: Breakthestreak
Dr Kerry Spackman once wrote that false beliefs should never be respected nor celebrated, false beliefs should always be ridiculed and mocked.
Because false beliefs are dangerous.

The truth should always be the only option.

Ridiculing and mocking those beliefs is the only dangerous thing here.

Anyone who claims to know the truth, and what is false, will not mock those for believing in a falsehood. They will only explain why it is false to believe it, by explaining the truth to them.

Mocking a belief is arrogant, often deceitful behavior. Fear-based.

That is a good philosophy, if you start challenging a person who has strong beliefs it just leads to a complete breakdown of trying to persuade them they may be straying from the right path, a behavior that they can adjust a bit.

originally posted by: turbonium1
We believe everything they say is real, even when it's not real.

We can choose if it is real, or is not real, by ourselves....to find the truth.

I really do want to believe in Santa and the Easter bunny so I get goodies twice a year. I don't even get a chunk of coal for Christmas from Santa anymore, he totally ignores me since I no longer believe in him.

originally posted by: Itisnowagain

originally posted by: Breakthestreak
Dr Kerry Spackman once wrote that false beliefs should never be respected nor celebrated, false beliefs should always be ridiculed and mocked.
Because false beliefs are dangerous.

The truth should always be the only option.

Aren't all 'beliefs' false?
If you have to believe something then you still have doubt.........doubt and belief go hand in hand! Would you need to believe if you knew for sure?

Which scientific evidence do you choose to believe. If you compare scientific research a lot you will find research that is completely opposite of other research. The group funding the research is to be considered but I have seen some research done by businesses that is actually way more pertinent than research funded by the public sector. You need to look at both sides of an issue open mindedly to develop an opinion that leads to reality, Some times both sides of the research that have opposite results are both misinterpreted and the evidence is not applicable to what they are even applying it to.

Science is plagued with false beliefs and interpretations. I see a lot of misapplied evidence in my studies.

a reply to: BrianFlanders

Or Q.

originally posted by: NJE777
a reply to: rickymouse

Hi Rickymouse....
This question/statement of yours could really become complicated, for eg, is matter real?

Most of what we are taught has been taught to those teaching us. It is a cycle of the world's view. That evolves just like our knowledge.

Consensus of the time slowly changes but sometimes there is a drastic change with a complete reversal in some things. Take a look at the prohibition, big swings occured in society. It seems people tend to get carried away with things which leads to overcorrection which leads to a complete reversal after a while. Kind of an interesting world we live in, I have seen some of these swings happen, I like observing things.

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: Itisnowagain

originally posted by: Breakthestreak
Dr Kerry Spackman once wrote that false beliefs should never be respected nor celebrated, false beliefs should always be ridiculed and mocked.
Because false beliefs are dangerous.

The truth should always be the only option.

Aren't all 'beliefs' false?
If you have to believe something then you still have doubt.........doubt and belief go hand in hand! Would you need to believe if you knew for sure?

Which scientific evidence do you choose to believe.

None.

You need to look at both sides of an issue open mindedly to develop an opinion that leads to reality,

No opinion is needed to see and hear!!
What is real is always here and now...no leading required.

Eat from the tree of life - don't eat from the tree of knowledge!

a reply to: Nothin

Great question since our preception of the world is acquired through simple electrical impulses along our nerves. What is real?

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Nothin

Great question since our preception of the world is acquired through simple electrical impulses along our nerves. What is real?

Saint Francis said 'We are looking for what is looking'.

What is it that is looking for what is real?? Can That be negated? It maybe overlooked because the looking is full of what is appearing!

THE TRUTH IS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

a reply to: Breakthestreak

Kerry Spackman is a dick then.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

Nope. I believe the sun will rise.
And it will.
Whether I believe it or not.
I have no doubt at all.
Do you?

a reply to: Sillyolme

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Itisnowagain

Nope. I believe the sun will rise.

Does the sun rise?
I have heard that the sun does not move in relation to the Earth......it is the Earth that moves....but who knows for sure?
So no I do not believe the sun rises!

a reply to: turbonium1

IKR... let's revisit the opening post that talks about our initiation into the belief system.
Where we talk about the beliefs of children who believe in Santa, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, ( God I was so bad with that one.)
If we apply Spackmans approach we mock and ridicule the little ones.
Maybe he was raised that way. Who knows...
I think that advice stinks on ice.

a reply to: Sillyolme

If the sun 'rose' it would get further and further away from the Earth until it disappeared from view altogether, lol.

I taught my granddaughter something one day long ago. I asked her if she wanted to walk around the drive to look for wild strawberries, she went ahead and saw the red berries and picked them quickly. I asked her how come she could see them so quickly and she said she looked for red and it was easy. I asked her if she found any money and she said no, why. I told her I had put change along the edge of the drive and she did not see any of the shiny money. She went back and sure enough, she had missed a whole handful of change because she was looking only for red.

Now she sees way more than she used to, she notices the ant hills and bees when she goes out berry picking and also notices stuff like wintergreen berries and sugar plums and raspberries when picking blueberries, she also noticed this year lots of wild strawberries were out with the blueberries because the blueberries were early. She sees the snakes now too, but we just have copperbellies and garden snakes anyway, but the grass snakes will bite even though they are not poisonous.

Focusing on what you think is happening can stop you from ever discovering what is really happening. If you have a lot of knowledge about something that knowledge can prevent you from seeing something that does not fit the knowledge you have. The more we know, the more chance we can be blinded by that knowledge, the harder it is to discover something that does not fit into the box.

originally posted by: Breakthestreak
Dr Kerry Spackman once wrote that false beliefs should never be respected nor celebrated, false beliefs should always be ridiculed and mocked.
Because false beliefs are dangerous.

The truth should always be the only option.

Faith is when you believe in something that you know ain't true, said Huck Finn. Too true.


So the term 'false beliefs' is a subjective call, not an objective call.

But if the person lets others define his beliefs as to true or false, he is asking for trouble. The individual must learn to seek truth and live his life accordingly.

Superstition ain't the way

The more we know, the more chance we can be blinded by that knowledge, the harder it is to discover something that does not fit into the box.

It helps to know something about the box before saying something is outside it.

The belief in things that are demonstrably not real is delusional. Having an open mind to what is not known is a different thing.