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Why is it so difficult to make people change their minds?

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
This confirmation bias problem is typically asked as a psychology question, but this piece of research is about findings from MRIs. I've excerpted the key finding.

Why is it so difficult to make people change their minds?

'Brains fail to encode' opposing views


When they studied participants' brain activity, as revealed by the functional MRI scans, the researchers zeroed in on the brain area that appeared to be involved in evaluating and absorbing someone else's ideas: the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.

The team saw that brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex fluctuated, depending on the strength of a partner's conviction, as suggested by the value of the investment they were willing to make.

However, this was only the case when paired participants agreed about the value of the house. When they were in disagreement, there was no change in brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.
 

Vouthon

Dominus Deus tuus ignis consumens est
Staff member
Premium Member
I don't exactly know the neuroscience behind it, but I do know that its either at the root cause of most of the world's problems or, at minimum, the main thing exacerbating them.

A flaw in our evolutionary biology, certainly.
 

URAVIP2ME

Veteran Member
This confirmation bias problem is typically asked as a psychology question, but this piece of research is about findings from MRIs. I've excerpted the key finding.
Why is it so difficult to make people change their minds?
'Brains fail to encode' opposing views
When they studied participants' brain activity, as revealed by the functional MRI scans, the researchers zeroed in on the brain area that appeared to be involved in evaluating and absorbing someone else's ideas: the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.
The team saw that brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex fluctuated, depending on the strength of a partner's conviction, as suggested by the value of the investment they were willing to make.
However, this was only the case when paired participants agreed about the value of the house. When they were in disagreement, there was no change in brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.

Interesting information ^ above ^.
I would suppose the culture, or cultural bias, a person grows up in plays a factor in evaluating and absorbing someone else's ideas, including religious ideas such as what Jesus' apostles taught.
There seems to be a rise and fall in what is popular by the 'whims of man' and Not necessarily of Scripture.
So, once a cherished religious myth is exposed the myth is now so deeply embedded in the mind that even when exposed because of the strength of one's convictions he'll still insist on keeping that religious myth alive.
Kept alive even by using or forming imaginate masquerading constructs to keep the myth alive.

For example: the Saturnalia became Christnalia because people did Not want to give up the Saturnalia.
(Which has developed into a secular (even national) holiday of material consumption often to excess)
Rather then give up what was Not Christian, it was easier to keep the Saturnalia by mixing or blending Christ into it.
Rome especially stole the ' concepts of Christ ' by twisting and turning them to the point that Rome changed Christ's concepts from faith to fraud.
Such unscriptural convictions that are now so very hard to erase because of becoming so deeply embedded in people's minds that the thought of another's idea is Not acceptable.
Thus, first, one must have 'an inquiring mind that wants to know' regardless of one's culture or upbringing.
 

URAVIP2ME

Veteran Member
I don't exactly know the neuroscience behind it, but I do know that its either at the root cause of most of the world's problems or, at minimum, the main thing exacerbating them.
A flaw in our evolutionary biology, certainly.
I find in Scripture the root cause is Not evolutionary but the flaw is the sin issue - Romans 5:12,19; Romans 3:23
When a person's conscience becomes hardened by choosing to ignore it then sin (wrong doing) does Not bother it.
I find there are people who reject that there is sin but does such rejection prove there is No sin________
Just like a broken thermometer does Not prove there is No fever.
I find exacerbating the root cause of most of the world's problems is as described at 2 Timothy 3:1-5,13
There we find described the selfish distorted form of love the world now displays.
This is why we are in these last days of badness on Earth before there will be divine involvement into man's affairs.
This world today is the end result of the failure of people who choose to Not respond to what Jesus taught.
Self-centered people who choose Not to cultivate the fruitage of God's spirit as listed at Galatians 5:22-23.
Choose to Not display the Christ-like love as defined at 1 Corinthians 13:4-6.
Choose to ignore Jesus' New commandment found at John 13:34-35 to have the same self-sacrificing love for others as Jesus has for us.
 

Mock Turtle

Oh my, did I say that!
Premium Member
This might be a bit obvious, but I think quite often it is down to the subconscious, or conscious, judgments and assessments we tend to make about people (or supposed experts), and hence the value we place on what they say. And also, it often becomes a trail issue - that is, how does any particular thing impact on any existing beliefs we might already have. Does it mean we have to change our views a little or change a lot? Can anything new be slotted in conveniently or does it have to replace some existing belief? If it means that we have to change something we have a heavy investment in, like religious beliefs or politics, then we are unlikely to change. It's no coincidence that most of the climate-deniers, for example, will likely be more right-wing - where they might see threats to business or their own way of life. I suspect that those who don't identify with any particular position so firmly will likely be able to change their minds more readily, although I'm not sure there is any evidence to indicate this.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
This confirmation bias problem is typically asked as a psychology question, but this piece of research is about findings from MRIs. I've excerpted the key finding.

Why is it so difficult to make people change their minds?

'Brains fail to encode' opposing views


When they studied participants' brain activity, as revealed by the functional MRI scans, the researchers zeroed in on the brain area that appeared to be involved in evaluating and absorbing someone else's ideas: the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.

The team saw that brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex fluctuated, depending on the strength of a partner's conviction, as suggested by the value of the investment they were willing to make.

However, this was only the case when paired participants agreed about the value of the house. When they were in disagreement, there was no change in brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.
If you have to argue a point to people to get them to change their minds, it's a strong indicator that your just not there yet.
 

Truth&Hope

Jesus Freak
This might be a bit obvious, but I think quite often it is down to the subconscious, or conscious, judgments and assessments we tend to make about people (or supposed experts), and hence the value we place on what they say. And also, it often becomes a trail issue - that is, how does any particular thing impact on any existing beliefs we might already have. Does it mean we have to change our views a little or change a lot? Can anything new be slotted in conveniently or does it have to replace some existing belief? If it means that we have to change something we have a heavy investment in, like religious beliefs or politics, then we are unlikely to change. It's no coincidence that most of the climate-deniers, for example, will likely be more right-wing - where they might see threats to business or their own way of life. I suspect that those who don't identify with any particular position so firmly will likely be able to change their minds more readily, although I'm not sure there is any evidence to indicate this.
Too many variables. Let’s hope they at least started with the ability to critically think.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
It sounds like ego, to me. That aspect of our psyche that exists to protect us from falling into a turpor of confusion, by enabling us to perceive ourselves as being on the right track even when we have no idea whether we are or we aren't. Better this, than to fall into chronic indecision in the face of an unknowable future.

Unfortunately, this innate fear of the unknown and our desire to avoid it via ego can sometimes become overpowering, causing us to become enslaved to our egos. To the point where we just can't accept ourselves as being wrong about anything, anymore. Which is the disabling in it's own right.
 
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