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Why do humans believe so many things that are not true?

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
You can't have laws without design. There's no reason for order to exist in a godless universe. In fact there's no reason for anything.
Now you are showing that you do not understand what a physical law is. Human laws, which are prescriptive need a writer. Natural laws, which are actually human made things, are descriptive. Tney describe nature. They do not tell nature what to do.

There does not appear to be a thinking being behind the universe, nor does there appear to be a need for one.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
I can understand being "invested" in religious beliefs, since an entire after-life may seem dependent on such belief. But it's not just religion I'm talking about.

Think about Cargo cults of the Pacific, they are quasi-religious, but don't promise eternal happiness. Just lots of goodies in the present.

Or the election deniers, all this time after the 2020 election which happened nearly 2 years ago now. More than 60 court cases, legislatures setting up investigations -- and yet nobody has produced anything even remotely approaching evidence of fraud that could have accomplished what they claim. Yet the continue to claim it. Why?

What does QAnon believe? The core QAnon theory is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic sexual abusers of children operating a global child sex trafficking ring conspired against former U.S. President Donald Trump during his term in office. Also that while in office, Trump and his team were secretly fighting the cabal. QAnon was actually an offshoot of Pizzagate, which believed that high-profile Democrats were sexually abusing children at a pizza shop in Washington. One believe even staged an armed raid on the shop.

But, surely, any thinking person would realize that if so many children were being abused by Democrats -- there would be children who, as with various churches, stood up and said, "I was abused -- the Senator (or the priest) did things to me that he shouldn't have." Where are they?

I can understand, to a degree, supernatural beliefs for what one does not know how to explain naturally (which is why, by the way, such beliefs tend to fall off with higher STEM education). Since there are humans, I can sort of understand why many might accept the idea of the creation of Adam and Eve, or other such myths.

But for beliefs such as the above, a person with an IQ larger than their neck size should be able to see that no evidence at all, no matter how diligent the search, is very likely to mean that the belief is not well-founded.
Unfortunately when unenlightened self interest comes into play IQ's can quickly approach neck size.
 

Wildswanderer

Veteran Member
Now you are showing that you do not understand what a physical law is. Human laws, which are prescriptive need a writer. Natural laws, which are actually human made things, are descriptive. Tney describe nature. They do not tell nature what to do.

There does not appear to be a thinking being behind the universe, nor does there appear to be a need for one.
Sure, order just sprung from nothingness for no reason. Makes perfect sense if your brain dead.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Sure, order just sprung from nothingness for no reason. Makes perfect sense if your brain dead.
LOL! I guess that it does. But since I am not brain dead it makes no sense to me.

You keep forgetting that "no reason" is your belief. It is not the belief of those that follow the sciences. Once again, what is your evidence for your beliefs?
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
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.
I think its a simple matter of wishing and or wanting for something so bad, it just has, and got to be true.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I think people tend to choose their beliefs based on convenience rather than conviction.
True. I think personal comfort plays a significant role as well. Not everyone can take a straight solid shot of whiskey in life.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Alan Watts pointed out that the brain itself is incased in complete darkness and has no ability whatsoever to see, taste or hear for itself.

It's all completely dependent on information from other organisms to provide that information.
 

Wildswanderer

Veteran Member
LOL! I guess that it does. But since I am not brain dead it makes no sense to me.

You keep forgetting that "no reason" is your belief. It is not the belief of those that follow the sciences. Once again, what is your evidence for your beliefs?
Science has no ultimate reason for anything to exist.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
It definitely needs one to explain why there's anything. But that's a problem with science... it's very limited in explaining anything.
Really? Please support your claim. So far I have found no evidence that supports what you said. There is no evidence of a personality of any sort being involved.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
When I was young, there used to be a chant we kids said as we walked the sidewalks to and from school: "Don't step on cracks, you'll break your mother's back."

As a kid who was taken from my mother (but longed to go back) I took it very seriously. For years I was absolutely focused on the sidewalk when I walked. I can't remember when I stopped -- maybe around 12-13? And I certainly can't remember why. But for a few years, before I hit my teens, this was something I took seriously.

Anybody have similar stories?
I've always assumed I picked this up from Michael Jackson, but when I was a little kid I thought people changing skin color was normal and something that just sometimes happens.
As for the step on a crack thing, I think I was in third grade when I first heard it. And even as a child, hearing it I knew it was bogus so while the guy I heard it from was carefully avoiding all the cracks I was stomping on each and every one we came across.
 

Ostronomos

Well-Known Member
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.

On the need to believe as a starting point of truth...

This, my confused friend, moreso speaks to the veracity of human nature than the validity of individual interpretations (which are always parts of a whole). It more reflects the need to believe in something as the motivation behind a life of truth, whether that be the belief in atheism or the knowledge of God. Only a life of truth leads one to God. As we are products of our conditioning and genetics, conditioning and genetics almost always leads one to truth, unless you're evil or atheist.
 
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