Why You Believe The Things You Do

Why You Believe The Things You Do

What you believe to be true is influenced by how much you want it to be true. The more something helps you deal with uncertainty, the lower the bar is for you to believe it's true. This concept is nicely articulated by Daniel Defoe when describing the Great Plague of London in 1722. He noted that during this time, people were more susceptible to prophecies, astrological conjurations, dreams, and old wives' tales than ever before. When faced with a deadly plague that claimed the lives of a quarter of their neighbors, people were willing to believe anything that offered hope.

In the legal world, there is something known as Gibson's Law, which states that "For every PhD, there is an equal and opposite PhD." This means that no matter what argument you're trying to make, you can find a qualified expert witness who's willing to support it, under oath, for a fee. This highlights the fact that people can be led to believe and defend almost anything. The goal of a belief is often not to discover what's true, but rather to justify past actions, protect one's reputation, provide hope in times of despair, maximize income, or signal belonging to a particular tribe.

The allure of a belief can eclipse its truth. Our recollection of events is heavily influenced by what we've experienced. We remember the parts of our experiences that make good stories, confirm stereotypes, and connect dots between other experiences. This leads to sharpening and leveling of memories, where we emphasize certain details and discard others. As a result, what we think is true is heavily biased by our subjective experiences.

Changing our minds is rarer than it should be. It is far easier to fool ourselves into believing a falsehood than to admit a mistake. Clinging to false beliefs is a common phenomenon, as changing our minds requires us to confront our own fallibility. However, the core of a scientific lifestyle is to change our minds when faced with information that disagrees with our views. Intellectual inertia should be avoided, but many of us admire leaders who stubbornly stick to their views as a sign of strength.

Richard Feynman, a renowned physicist, emphasized the importance of "distrust of experts" as a cornerstone of science. Yet, herd mentality and blind faith in authority figures are widespread. While logic should form the basis of scientific reasoning, wishful thinking, irrational fears, and other cognitive biases often dominate our decisions.

Beliefs are not just about what we know; they are social signals that offer clues about how we established our beliefs, our confidence in our intelligence, and our ability to pass reliable truth to others. Ideally, we should want experts who are willing to change their minds when presented with new information. However, in reality, we often seek individuals who exude unwavering confidence and never have to admit they were wrong.

Ultimately, our beliefs are driven by a desire to eliminate uncertainty. We are not always interested in truth, but rather in finding something that provides a sense of certainty. This fact alone causes us to believe things that may have little relation to reality.

Linking Your Thinking

In addition to understanding why we believe the things we do, it is important to explore how we can effectively link our thoughts and ideas. There are various tools and behaviors that can aid in this process.

Evernote serves as a collector, allowing us to gather and organize our ideas. It provides a platform to capture thoughts and insights, helping us keep track of the information that influences our beliefs.

For those who enjoy building stories out of ideas, tools like Ulysses and Bear are valuable. These writing platforms enable us to craft narratives and connect the dots between different concepts. They provide a creative space where ideas can be developed into cohesive pieces of content.

When it comes to connecting and organizing ideas in a more structured manner, tools like Roam and Obsidian come into play. Roam acts as a connector and databaser, allowing us to link thoughts, create relationships between ideas, and build a knowledge graph. Obsidian, on the other hand, combines the functionalities of both a connector and a writer. It facilitates the process of relating ideas while also providing a platform for content creation.

By utilizing these tools and adopting behaviors that support effective thinking, we can enhance our ability to link ideas and expand our understanding of the world. Whether it's collecting, writing, connecting, or organizing, each approach contributes to the exploration and development of our beliefs.

Actionable Advice:

1. Embrace intellectual humility: Recognize that changing your mind is not a sign of weakness, but rather a testament to your willingness to grow and learn. Be open to new information and challenge your existing beliefs.

2. Seek diverse perspectives: Surround yourself with individuals who hold different opinions and beliefs. Engage in respectful discussions and debates that expose you to alternative viewpoints. This will broaden your understanding and help you develop more nuanced beliefs.

3. Practice critical thinking: Be aware of your cognitive biases and strive to make decisions based on logic and evidence rather than emotions or preconceived notions. Develop the habit of questioning information and seeking reliable sources to inform your beliefs.

In conclusion, our beliefs are influenced by various factors, including our desire to eliminate uncertainty and our tendency to justify past actions or protect our reputation. Understanding the underlying motivations behind our beliefs can help us critically examine and evaluate them. By utilizing tools and behaviors that facilitate effective thinking and linking of ideas, we can enhance our ability to develop well-informed and adaptable beliefs. Embracing intellectual humility, seeking diverse perspectives, and practicing critical thinking are actionable steps we can take to navigate the complex landscape of beliefs and knowledge.