"The Science of Why We Don't Believe in Science"--and why JWs resist the truth about the "Truth"

by Cadellin 3 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Cadellin

  This recent Mother Jones article is pretty illuminating as to how defense mechanisms kick in when cherished beliefs are threatened by new information. All the responses discussed--discrediting the source, denying the validity of the evidence, etc.--are, no surprise, exactly the strategy employed in WT publications discussing Biblical criticism, evolution and other contradictions to the WT worldview. What I found interesting was that such emotionally-driven responses feel like rational responses to the individual because the emotion to preserve belief systems kicks in before the analytic response. I'd like to show this to my husband, but I know he'll discredit it and point out all the ways it doesn't apply, thereby unwittingly providing support for the point being made. Except he won't see it that way.

  http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/03/denial-science-chris-mooney
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  leavingwt

  Thank you for sharing this fascinating article with us. The quote below, from the article, is something that many of us have seen, when attempting to awaken friends and loved ones who are trapped within the WT cult.

  " And that undercuts the standard notion that the way to persuade people is via evidence and argument. In fact, head-on attempts to persuade can sometimes trigger a backfire effect, where people not only fail to change their minds when confronted with the facts—they may hold their wrong views more tenaciously than ever."
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  sizemik

  WOW! . . . great post Cadellin . . . and great article.

  This sentence is a great revealer . . .

  We push threatening information away; we pull friendly information close. We apply fight-or-flight reflexes not only to predators, but to data itself.

  The explanation Why Direct Persuasion Fails is also very interesting . . . and true.
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  jean-luc picard

  A very interesting article. Thank you.

  If you accept that you had it wrong then you are obliged to change: or disband.

  As we have heard so often said by JWs ( and its really rather sad)

  "where will we go away to?"