Slashdot Mirror
Beliefs Conform To Cultural Identities
DallasMay writes "This article describes an experiment that demonstrates that people don't put as much weight on facts as they do their own belief about how the world is supposed to work. From the article: 'In one experiment, Braman queried subjects about something unfamiliar to them: nanotechnology — new research into tiny, molecule-sized objects that could lead to novel products. "These two groups start to polarize as soon as you start to describe some of the potential benefits and harms," Braman says. The individualists tended to like nanotechnology. The communitarians generally viewed it as dangerous. Both groups made their decisions based on the same information. "It doesn't matter whether you show them negative or positive information, they reject the information that is contrary to what they would like to believe, and they glom onto the positive information," Braman says.'"
There are biases based on culture that appear in "non-biased" representations of unfamiliar information?
I am shocked, I tell you. Shocked that there is gambling in the back room.
Next week a new study showing that sharpened pieces of metal make it easier to cut cheese!
I'm just sitting here, waiting for this discussion to get sidetracked onto the question of "is AGW true?" like it did on the NPR site.
From what I've witnessed in the passed 20 years there is far too much chaos and instability for nationalism. That place has always been volitile. Ultimate Acai Max
Do you lie to yourself in order to take the edge off uncomfortable truths?
Can be effectively answered with a, "Yes, No, or Sometimes," (and probably a few more word-mincing in-between washy answers). I wonder how many folk thought, "Yes! and I am glad I am not one of those people that would answer no." Versus how many people thought, "No! and I am glad I am not one of those people that answered yes."
I wonder, also, if you have any thoughts on whether one answers is, "better," than any other, for any particular question Fantastic Lad. It's always interesting to me read these types of threads and questions on slashdot because many folk here manage to abstract things at a higher level than the immediate quality judgments that are spun out reactionarily (I made a new word!) by various other communities. Furthermore, there is, at least to some extent, some value in the Slashdot culture that gets placed on thinking or responding in a way that is significantly different than other responses (Will this response fulfill that criterion? Who knows!). That said, I always find the, 'deep philosophical and/or introspective questions and responses addictive and intriguing on here. I also love the stubborn ol' fuckers that come out with the harsh realism. "Back in my day asking those kind of questions made you a commie! The only reason the truth would make you uncomfortable is if you're gay! Now get off my lawn I have some fortran to go debug!" (Such lovely passion and endless amusement).
Yet all ramblings aside, I wonder how many people associated any of these questions with quality adjectives like better or worse.
Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
I also very rarely hear anyone else say "it depends" because not only do lots of folks think they need that definite conclusion,
You don't hang out with very many engineers do you?
Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted
This was always something that bugged me about my faith back when I was a practicing Christian (don't ask me what I am now, I couldn't tell you if I tried). There was always a self-righteous pleasure that Christians seemed to take in being persecuted. If someone called them stupid or illogical, there would be this knowing little smirk that dawned on their face, like they had just caught a glimpse up a girl's skirt. This mindset always seemed decidedly masochistic, in some ways. "Oh, so you want to hurt me? Go ahead, I will revel in it." That attitude always walked hand in hand with the turn-the-other-cheek and love-your-enemies mentalities. Occasionally, it results in a smugness,a sort of, "Why, yes, I AM stupid aren't I? You are so wise to notice!" It might even be called sanctimonious.
When I pieced that together with the ideal that pride is a sin, things kind of made more sense. It's as if the Christian faith feeds off of its own members' self-destruction. The saddest part of it all is that, in the end, I watched that mindset destroy the self-respect and dignity many of my Christian friends. They roam the Earth as hollow shells of their former selves, discussing how content they are to be living a life for God, with almost no head paid towards the very temple that He gave them (see the discussion in the Bible regarding the body as a temple).
That's one of the many reasons I had to walk away from that religion. Watching it destroy the hearts and minds of those I loved, watching those I loved destroy their own hearts and minds in piousness to God, it became nauseating.
Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig, has some interesting (and very rational) discussions about the trappings of rationalism. He asserts (to a great depth of which I cannot appropriately emulate in a single slashdot comment) that rationalism is an incomplete, though not wrong, mindset with which to view the entirety of reality (or existence or whatever). Viewed from that statement, rationality could be seen as one, 'fringe,' subset to the generalized set (which Pirsig asserts is Quality). Granted, it would be a rather large fringe element, as it is directly subservient to Quality, and thus a very broad subset, but it is still a subset and still, therefore, only part of a larger picture.
As for anti-dogmatism, I think that particular ism is an existing hypocrisy. I have met anti-dogmatists who, by all consistent interpretations of what they preach, should kill themselves and their followers. The attitude in general makes for a remarkably amusing self-satire. Nonetheless, I would assert that, yes, anti-dogmatism is, in and of itself, dogmatic and fringey.
Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!