Choose to Believe?

[Polymath257]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

 

[Left Coast]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

"Choosing to believe" is a misnomer. Belief simply happens when one is convinced a thing is true or not. One can act as though a thing is true, either to conditionally test it out or as a way of masking one's actual beliefs. But I wouldn't call that belief.

 

[Sunstone]

I think the usual procedure for humans is to respond intuitively when judging the truth or falsity of anything. If it goes much further than that, then it goes well beyond the popular notions truth is relative, everyone has their own truth, whatever feels best to me is what's true, etc.

But the best people at taking intuitions far enough that they have a decent chance at being demonstrably true, are nearly always people who've received something much more than what must be the average education in methods for figuring out truths, etc. So far, the scientific methods of inquiry are demonstrably the most powerful and exacting thingies we've invented to arrive at empirical truths.

Intuition followed by sound cross-examination via logical reasoning supported by empirical evidence is the recipe for the tastiest green chili smothered, mind-changing, reality burritos anywhere.

But they will never beat good sex for changing anyone's opinions of reality. At least, changing them for at least a dismally brief span of time.

Me, I'd recommend Balinese Fishnet Donkey Porn as the most likely starting place to dig if you want to strike gold in your further investigations into this matter,.

 

[Polymath257]

But they will never beat good sex for changing anyone's opinions of reality. At least, changing them for at least a dismally brief span of time.

Me, I'd recommend Balinese Fishnet Donkey Porn as the most likely starting place to dig if you want to strike gold in your further investigations into this matter,.

And, as I age, I find those moment of insight are increasingly rare and of shorter duration.

But increasingly valued when they occur.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

Now that I think of it, I think so. Belief is accepting something is true without support. So, you can believe you can fly and that belief is fine but it's not backed up by the fact gravity "says" otherwise. In religion, it works differently. You can believe or accept something supernatural is true without support, just as you can believe you can fly. Though, one is a bit more dangerous than the other. So, it's possible. As for beneficial, it depends on the religion and how you adhere to it.

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

I'm convinced in what I've learned so far because my experiences lead me to conclude my beliefs are true. Since they are beliefs (many of them aren't supported just personal biases), I tend not to think about it too much in those regards. Unless that bias (being convinced) is causing harm to self and others, I don't see it an issue.

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

Yes. Belief, I believe, is something mental. You can act like it's true (jump off a bridge to fly) but doesn't make it so. The belief itself isn't the issue just as hearing voices in itself isn't the issue. It's what people do because of their beliefs or what their voices tell them that "may" be the issue. The action and belief in itself is fine.

If I waited for evidence for every thing I experienced, I'd be skeptical all my life and never try anything new. I'm not sure about other countries, but it seems America has a bit of skepticism. That or I'm just generalizing since a lot of Americans are christians.

Choosing to believe or accept something is true, to me, isn't really the issue. Evidence doesn't matter unless you're talking about, say, medical field and other important areas of study. Though, I do believe some believers tend to try and find evidence for their religion (i.e. saying the existence of where jesus rested means jesus miracles are true) but I'm sure not all religions need that for their belief to be true and accept it without regards of objective evidence.

 

[TrueBeliever37]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

Yes you can choose to believe. But of course being convinced or unconvinced plays a part in whether you choose to believe or not.

If you are only acting or pretending then that wouldn't be true belief. That would be based on deceit or lying or hypocrisy or something like that.

Of course you could also truly believe something, and then when more or different evidence is presented, you might modify your beliefs based on that information.

 

[37818]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

Beliefs are driven by wishful thinking of wanting somethings to be true, as well as, by preceived to be true evidences.

 

[Polymath257]

Yes you can choose to believe. But of course being convinced or unconvinced plays a part in whether you choose to believe or not.

What else do you think is involved? What would be a situation where you are convinced but do not choose to believe?

If you are only acting or pretending then that wouldn't be true belief. That would be based on deceit or lying or hypocrisy or something like that.

Of course you could also truly believe something, and then when more or different evidence is presented, you might modify your beliefs based on that information.

 

[Polymath257]

Beliefs are driven by wishful thinking of wanting somethings to be true, as well as, by preceived to be true evidences.

Really? There have been many things I have *wanted* to be true, but haven't believed. Do you believe many things simply because you want them to be true?

 

[Vinayaka]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

As others have said, I don't think you can make a choice on belief. You're a product of your experiences. That said, I do think there are people who have ulterior motives to be great pretenders about belief, such as having friends, or helping communities. Sometimes folks just like the faith communities they're in, and choose not to share their disbelief.

 

[PureX]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Yes, BUT ... this occurs only when the functional evidence for that which we are choosing to trust as being 'true' is insufficient for us to establish a reasoned probability. For example, let's say we are considering the question of the existence of 'ghosts', or disembodied human spirits of some sort. There is plenty of evidence for this: books and stories and anecdotes galore. And yet even with all this evidence, none of it has so far managed to reach the level of establishing a reasonable probability of there being, or not being such a phenomenon. In this a situation, we are left with a choice as to how we will respond to this particular proposition. We can choose to trust that the proposition of their existence is true. Or we can choose to trust that it is false. Or we can choose to leave the question undetermined until such time as we gain more determinable evidence.

Also, we could choose to deny the evidence against a proposition that we want to be true, or for a proposition that we don;t want to be true, and then simply accept it or reject it as true, regardless. But most of us have learned that this is not a very successful strategy for determining truthfulness. And it can be very disadvantageous to be wrong. So most of us don't feel that we have a choice when the available evidence is sufficient for us to establish a reasonable probability of truthfulness.

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

I think that "acting as if" is more akin to faith, than belief. Belief is more the pretense of our own righteousness ("X is true"), than it is trusting in our hope that "X is true". The difference can be subtle, and we are often being admonished to "believe in" this or that rather than to trust in it (with reservation). And that generates a lot of confusion and resentment on the subject.

 

[TrueBeliever37]

What else do you think is involved? What would be a situation where you are convinced but do not choose to believe?

I think understanding is definitely involved. If you can't understand what someone is telling you how could you believe it?

If you are truly convinced that means you DO believe. Now that doesn't mean you will obey. You may choose not to obey because you don't want to for whatever reason. You could choose not to obey because of fear or embarrassment or rebellion or any number of reasons.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

I have some examples:

When you quit an addiction you are changing your beliefs. You have chosen not to believe your addiction. You believed it, and now you don't. This takes circumstance and force of will, and it takes reinforcement. In the end you are changed and no longer believe in the addictive option. The point is you are changed. To change your belief requires being changed, but it is possible.

Consider the blame game. Some people subconsciously blame others for our own faults, and we struggle to see the reality. Is this a choice? It is and isn't. The choice is subconscious; but the subconscious mind may be trained. You can train yourself not to blame others all the time. This changes you. In religion this is called spiritual growth. In Psychology it is called personal growth. Point is your belief changes. You change your belief that others are responsible for your flaws into a belief that you are responsible and in control.

 

[37818]

Really? There have been many things I have *wanted* to be true, but haven't believed. Do you believe many things simply because you want them to be true?

Not everyone choses to believe a thing becaused one wants a thing to be true. But many do. How is it there are more false beliefs than are true? Just picking a belief, sets the odds as such the mere pick will not pick a corrrect belief.

 

[Orbit]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

Sure, you can choose to believe something. Like someone could hear something bad about someone as gossip and choose to believe it or not.

 

[Aštra’el]

You can choose to develop along a certain path, and that path might lead to you developing a belief you didn’t have before.

 

[leroy]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

(Assuming that you are an adult).

Well imagine that you find a child that claims to be your son and you think there are good reasons to think that he is telling the truth

Can you choose to Love him ?
Answer not really but , you can choose to open your heart and spend time with your son, you can choose to put yourself in situations where you can have nice and fun moments with your son..........and eventually you will end up loving your son.


So the same is true with God, you can't really choose to "believe"but you can choose to open your heart and to put yourself in situations where you are likely to end up believing.

 

[Altfish]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief? Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

Yes, of course it is true that you can choose to believe something.
I believe that Val McDermid is the best crime author; The Fall are the best ever band, I have evidence but not something that can't be disputed

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

...

Some elements of some beliefs do work that way. I e.g. had a mid-life crisis. I stopped it, because I had learned that if I used another sets of beliefs about what makes a good life, I could stop feeling that I had a bad life. So I choose to believe differently about what makes a good life a good life and it worked.

That is BTW knowledge that is subjective, yet works. But if you only believe in objective knowledge, it doesn't work, because you subjectively only believe in the objective.

 

[metis]

New Is it possible to 'choose to believe' something?

Yes.

In other words, is belief a choice? or are you simply convinced/unconvinced by what you have learned so far?

Yes to the first, but I'm a bit hesitant with the second.

Also, it is certainly possible to act 'as if' something is true. But is that the same as belief?

Yes, then no.

Or merely a provisional assumption until more evidence is found?

In regards to myself, I often use the words "tend" or "lean" along this line, thus my position is one of not being positive but that I do see some evidence or have experienced enough to point me in that direction.

Anyhow, I probably am unclear, but I gotta leave now until Monday, so take care.