It's true, it really is -- there is a "Flat Earth Society."
And millions of people are frightened by any Friday falling on the 13th of the month (and many tall buildings have no 13th floor -- or in China, a 4th).
Evolution was basically accepted all over the western world within a couple of decades of Darwin's publication "On the Origin of Species," even though there was practically no real evidence -- yet today, with literally billions of times more evidence, millions believe evolution to be false and lies created by Satan.
Religious beliefs around the world differ wildly, yet most are supposed to be "uniquely true," and conspiracy theories of every kind imaginable (often in direct opposition to other such) are vouched to be undeniably true by followers.
There is, it seems, almost literally nothing that you cannot get human beings to believe, and to believe enough to act upon. And once believed, no amount of careful explanation and presentation of contradictory facts will break down that belief.
It seems to me that this may well be deep question, one that fits neatly under the category of "On Human Nature." Still, I thought it might be interesting to discuss the topic, and try to see if there isn't a way for humans to overcome what seems (at least to me) a fairly serious drawback in our very nature, our own information processing.
I will be posting some thoughts in the near future, but I would be delighted to hear from other members. Some might just decide to post such things as "why I believe X" or "why I think people who believe Y are wrong." But it would be most interesting, I think, to keep our thoughts focused on the nature of the human mind.
And millions of people are frightened by any Friday falling on the 13th of the month (and many tall buildings have no 13th floor -- or in China, a 4th).
Evolution was basically accepted all over the western world within a couple of decades of Darwin's publication "On the Origin of Species," even though there was practically no real evidence -- yet today, with literally billions of times more evidence, millions believe evolution to be false and lies created by Satan.
Religious beliefs around the world differ wildly, yet most are supposed to be "uniquely true," and conspiracy theories of every kind imaginable (often in direct opposition to other such) are vouched to be undeniably true by followers.
There is, it seems, almost literally nothing that you cannot get human beings to believe, and to believe enough to act upon. And once believed, no amount of careful explanation and presentation of contradictory facts will break down that belief.
It seems to me that this may well be deep question, one that fits neatly under the category of "On Human Nature." Still, I thought it might be interesting to discuss the topic, and try to see if there isn't a way for humans to overcome what seems (at least to me) a fairly serious drawback in our very nature, our own information processing.
I will be posting some thoughts in the near future, but I would be delighted to hear from other members. Some might just decide to post such things as "why I believe X" or "why I think people who believe Y are wrong." But it would be most interesting, I think, to keep our thoughts focused on the nature of the human mind.