Have you ever had faith in something that turned out to be incorrect? (Not faith in God/Religion) (America, quote) - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Atheism, God, Universe, Science, Spirituality, Faith, Evidence - City-Data Forum

Ajeck · 08-10-2009, 06:27 PM

Have you ever believed something in your life... not related to religion/God... that you believed with every part of your being to be true? At that time was there any reasoning behind this belief? How did you come to finding out you were mistaken? Was there any resistance on your part about to fully accepting the truth?

Is it reasonable for someone to hold on to a belief even though there is much evidence of the contrary? Does this make an individual delusional if he does?

If someone else held the same belief that you no longer hold; how did you go about showing them the truth? Did you think it is/was worth it?

AxisMundi · 08-10-2009, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajeck

Have you ever believed something in your life... not related to religion/God... that you believed with every part of your being to be true? At that time was there any reasoning behind this belief? How did you come to finding out you were mistaken? Was there any resistance on your part about to fully accepting the truth?

Is it reasonable for someone to hold on to a belief even though there is much evidence of the contrary? Does this make an individual delusional if he does?

If someone else held the same belief that you no longer hold; how did you go about showing them the truth? Did you think it is/was worth it?

1. Good example in my personal life was believing that America was somehow a "Christian Nation". We were never taught the original Motto, we had the "moment of prayer" at the begining of school, we were led to believe that te Puritans foudned the Nation, etc etc.

2. Delusional? Wouldn't go that far. Lied to, convinced of the lie maybe.

3. I show information concerning the facts of something, attempt to validate those facts to that person, and if they don't get it than they can live on in ignorance. And of course I would think it was worth it, ignorance is a preventable social disease ater all.

Thomas R. · 08-10-2009, 10:34 PM

I admit I don't change my mind easily or without sufficient reason. However I also don't totally embrace things "with every fiber of my being" accept in rare cases.

Still I'd say at one time I believed that the only differences between men and women, except the plumbing, were caused by societal forces. I don't know if I believed it "with every fiber of my being" but I think I believed it pretty strongly. However after observing people and reading the science I came to the conclusion this is incorrect. I still don't believe in any simple "women can't play hockey, men can't like crystal unicorns" type of thing, but I do think there are real differences that seem unrelated to culture. Oddly I came to this one fairly easy as it helped make some things in my life make more sense.

I think I also used to believe that someday we'd colonize other worlds in other solar systems and that faster-than-light travel was possible. After reading enough physics and history I've decided that I think this almost certainly won't happen. The distances are too great and the advantage to the place sending out the colony is too weak. This was a bit harder as I liked that dream of Galactic Empires and far-flung civilization. I haven't totally abandoned it, but it seems really unlikely to me now.

Pixie69 · 08-11-2009, 04:57 AM

yeh, it happened to me. I went through a time where I wanted change so badly, that I embarked on quitting my job (awaiting reply on another), and wanted to start my own business ...things did not work out as i have believed it would.....and I went through alot of pitfalls..but a year later, things started turning around, although i did not persue the initial plan that got me on the wild goose chase, and lost alot, I also gained better wisdom and now my life is good , better than what it was EVER. So, yes, sometimes we make choices, we go forward and things crash, but I have learnt to believe that something good always comes from something bad, and the whole experience has wisened me up and made me appreciate things more. My consilation is, no matter what mistakes, what path, there is always a way to bounce back, if you keep moving forward. It is better to try and fail, than to never try at all. Life is a journey, if we had all the answeres beforehand, there would be nothing to learn and grow from.

scarmig · 08-11-2009, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajeck

Have you ever believed something in your life... not related to religion/God... that you believed with every part of your being to be true? At that time was there any reasoning behind this belief? How did you come to finding out you were mistaken? Was there any resistance on your part about to fully accepting the truth?

Is it reasonable for someone to hold on to a belief even though there is much evidence of the contrary? Does this make an individual delusional if he does?

If someone else held the same belief that you no longer hold; how did you go about showing them the truth? Did you think it is/was worth it?

Yes. That government exists for the good of the people.

It was what I was told from day one.

I found out I was wrong by watching just how much bad and harm government does in all facets, everywhere, and by following the money.

The resistance came in unlearning the idea that some people are more qualified to make decisions for other people than those people themselves. The idea that Joe can make decisions for Bob even though they've never met and Joe has no interest in Bob is tacitly ludicrous and leads to great abuses of power and trust.

bert62 · 08-13-2009, 09:58 PM

I think I held on too long to the idea that my parents were smart and knew what was best for me. I believed they could protect me from anything (believe me they tried and mostly succeeded). The problem is that it made me crippled to make my own decisions. They wanted the best for me, I don't doubt that, but they were too controlling and it definitely arrested my development. However, to answer your question: I thought my dad was a god who was all powerful (he still is). There is nothing that man can't do. That's why I put so much (too much) faith in him. He may even cheat death.

effie g-tad · 08-14-2009, 11:02 AM

i believed i could never write like the thomas r.'s of this world whose success comes so much easier than the cynical reality of their readers would allow.

bert62 · 08-14-2009, 01:15 PM

Effie,
this comment for instance. Is it a criticism or are you lauding Thomas R? That's my problem. I am naive. While I do verbally communicate with cynicism, I don't know when I am reading it (necessarily). Robert

Tzaphkiel · 08-14-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajeck

Is it reasonable for someone to hold on to a belief even though there is much evidence of the contrary? Does this make an individual delusional if he does?

People grow in their own way, it's about minding your own business and tending to your own development, not seeing yourself as some superior being sitting in judgment of how others live

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajeck

If someone else held the same belief that you no longer hold; how did you go about showing them the truth? Did you think it is/was worth it?

it is obnoxious and arrogant and nosy and disrespectful and condescending and offensive and unhealthy to try to "show the truth" to anyone. The motives in doing that EVER are unclean.

bert62 · 08-14-2009, 07:58 PM

"showing the truth" may seem obnoxious, but we all had to learn from someone else who perpetuated the knowledge. Some knowledge becomes outdated and is replaced with new information, i.e. Scientific discoveries. Would it be "unclean" to attempt to help someone with information from a new discovery that might save someone's life? Just wondering.