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LINK Humans Are Hardwired to Dismiss Facts That Don’t Fit Their Worldview

I've always thought that those who dismiss science just didn't understand it properly. I therefore sought to explain to people how the natural world around us woks, but this fell on deaf ears. This link, on motivated reasoning, may explain why.

Vpatel 5 Jan 31
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I see this as a manifestation of the lack of cognitive flexibility among conservative people.

I agree, but if it's hard-wired, then I guess it's not their fault. The following paragraphs really hit me, that we have to target change a across whole groups: "Our ancestors evolved in small groups, where cooperation and persuasion had at least as much to do with reproductive success as holding accurate factual beliefs about the world. A human being’s very sense of self is intimately tied up with his or her identity group’s status and beliefs. Unsurprisingly, then, people respond automatically and defensively to information that threatens their ideological worldview.".

@Vpatel I think the word "hard-wired" is a trifle too strong in this context. The recovery of stroke victims from their strokes shows that the brain demonstrates plasticity.

@anglophone This is true. But the difficult part for many is to actually realise, in the first place, that their thinking may be faulty. Until then, there is no need for the brain the plasticise towards a new reality. Not just for one individual, but for a group. That's hard!

@Vpatel "But the difficult part for many is to actually realise, in the first place, that their thinking may be faulty." YES! 🙂 🙂 🙂

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Unfortunately yes

bobwjr Level 10 Jan 31, 2020
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Remember, it is always the person with whom you disagree that appears to engage in this motivated reasoning stuff. Our own opinions will always appear to us as absolute and perfect truth.

That Snopes article itself seems very biased to me, and also elitist.

I do see the potential to see our own arguments as perfects, and others' as flawed, and I'm sure it I'm guilty of it.

But my context was specifically in those who dismiss science, such as evolution.

Given that it reflects the physical laws around us, and can be verified by anyone using the scientific method, cannot be wrong. Therefore my own assertions, against others' alternative motivated reasoning, was valid.

@Vpatel I agree with you up to a point. There are people who think the earth is flat and who believe in the biblical creation story. I don’t bother with them.

But most issues have two sides, and both of the perspectives have something of value—some truth.

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