by cofty 32 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
This Article Won’t Change Your Mind - The facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs
Brilliant article in The Atlantic by Julie Beck discussing the phenomena of cognitive dissonance and how it affects religious and political beliefs. It includes some interesting thoughts on how social media has magnified the problem.
Spoiler - She is not optimistic about the possibility of successfully reasoning with members of religious cults.
The article also has a link to the 45 minute audio version.
Very interesting read. What I liked was this:
"There are facts, and there are beliefs, and there are things you want so badly to believe that they become as facts to you."
I'll give it a read. It sounds like a book I read by Carol Tavris called Mistakes were made but not by me. It explains a lot about the world we are living in now.
Facts and logic don’t convince people. I’m glad you’re coming round!
"There are facts, and there are beliefs, and there are things you want so badly to believe that they become as facts to you."
Fabulous quote. It will become one that I will definitely use a lot in the future.
just saying!
More proof that if there is a god he’s an ass if he’s going to judge then kill people for not doing a thing. This condition shows why people won’t change and it not necessarily their fault, thier brains are wired to fight change of beliefs.
"someone convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still"...a quote from the distant past.
An excellent article Cofty.
It really spells out how the believing JW's or even political groups make adjustments to their thinking.
The reasons those adjustments are made is not that difficult to understand:
Sorry my highlighter is not working quotes are from the article.
"........ (Their) beliefs were tethered to a group they belonged to, a group that was deeply important to their lives and their sense of self. "
"You’re in a position of defending your choices no matter what information is presented......... because if you don’t, it means that you lose your membership in this group that’s become so important to you.”
There is another driving force at play in the JW belief........... a rather selfish notion that by remaining a loyal JW one will gain rewards like a Paradise Earth that will not be readily available to non believers.
The resistance we encounter when we try to explain TTATT is understood.......... however this comment is also interesting.
“Personally my own theory is that there’s a slide that happens,” McIntyre says. “This is why we need to teach critical thinking, and this is why we need to push back against false beliefs, because there are some people who are still redeemable, who haven’t made that full slide into denialism yet. I think once they’ve hit denial, they’re too far gone and there’s not a lot you can do to save them.”
I also wonder if this slide works in the opposite direction....it does seem to happen for a number of people when they begin to question, read and start to understand that there is a real 'truth' that can be based on critical thinking.
excellent cofty, thanks, will refer back to it. a goldmine of insights, sample:
higher intelligence will serve only to come up with better arguments to defend a wrong position of your group (jws, creationists etc, )
higher intelligence will serve only to come up with better arguments to defend a wrong position - Waton
I also found that very interesting. It's so important that we have the courage to face challenges to our beliefs with honesty.
Having said all of the above, I still believe that presenting evidence to people with strongly entrenched ideas can pay dividends in the long-run. However there is usually some crisis of faith before the things they heard previously become significant. It might be a change in doctrine or a personal grievance.
In my own case it was facts that convinced me to leave but it was the dishonesty and arrogance of the GB regarding the 'generation' that prompted me to investigate.
