do we believe everything we're told?

[lastconundrum]

Excerpt from http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/10/do-we-believe-e.html#more
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Do We Believe Everything We're Told?
Some early experiments on anchoring and adjustment tested whether distracting the subjects - rendering subjects cognitively "busy" by asking them to keep a lookout for "5" in strings of numbers, or some such - would decrease adjustment, and hence increase the influence of anchors. Most of the experiments seemed to bear out the idea that cognitive busyness increased anchoring, and more generally contamination.

Looking over the accumulating experimental results - more and more findings of contamination, exacerbated by cognitive busyness - Daniel Gilbert saw a truly crazy pattern emerging: Do we believe everything we're told?

One might naturally think that on being told a proposition, we would first comprehend what the proposition meant, then consider the proposition, and finally accept or reject it. This obvious-seeming model of cognitive process flow dates back to Descartes. But Descartes's rival, Spinoza, disagreed; Spinoza suggested that we first passively accept a proposition in the course of comprehending it, and only afterward actively disbelieve propositions which are rejected by consideration.
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The whole article is worth reading and explains to me why we are constantly being fed unbelievable lies as propaganda. :censored:

[Divinorumus]

One only needs to look at religion to see how susceptible and gullible some humans can be when it comes to "believing" things merely told to them. This is a scary planet.

[VOguy]

It's always great to hear or read of new information and interesting topics. However, (and this especially applies to the Internet and TV), anyone who takes vital information without their own personal research is a fool.

[Dera]

One only needs to look at religion to see how susceptible and gullible some humans can be when it comes to "believing" things merely told to them. This is a scary planet.

Div, my friend, did it ever occur to you that you may be pushing your anti-everything beliefs as hard as any religious person ever pushed their faith? (Well, maybe not the Muslims who seem happy to kill themselves for their beliefs.) Always exceptions.....grumble. :33:

[Divinorumus]

Div, my friend, did it ever occur to you that you may be pushing your anti-everything beliefs as hard as any religious person ever pushed their faith? (Well, maybe not the Muslims who seem happy to kill themselves for their beliefs.) Always exceptions.....grumble. :33: Oh, I'm not pushing any belief(s), I hope them religious folks stick with their make-believe truths and get this Armageddon judgment day thang of theirs underway so we can free up some elbowroom around here.

All of this gets back to that other thing too, in that once you program a human to believe something is true, they are pretty much hardcoded and stuck with believing that to be true until made a fool of at some future time. Humans are funny when it comes to beliefs. Seriously, once they told each other the earth is flat, and they believed that too.

[Dera]

Oh, I'm not pushing any belief(s), I hope them religious folks stick with their make-believe truths and get this Armageddon judgment day thang of theirs underway so we can free up some elbowroom around here.

All of this gets back to that other thing too, in that once you program a human to believe something is true, they are pretty much hardcoded and stuck with believing that to be true until made a fool of at some future time. Humans are funny when it comes to beliefs. Seriously, once they told each other the earth is flat, and they believed that too.

:biglaugh: I guess I should have said "opinions" instead of "beliefs". Whatever, I don't see anyone pushing their opinions on religion here at IW. Once upon a time on this forum, we had a member who posted about Armageddon all the time. Whew. In my opinion, that was BORING and was just SOMEONE ELSE'S opinion. :02: Would you reform the world with your ideas? What do you believe in, anyhow, besides just "Divinorumus"?

Yup. My opinions and beliefs after nearly a lifetime of observations are "hard wired" until someone with a reasonable, intelligent, point of view comes along who can give me proven facts--instead of just a lot of negative hyperbole--on why I should change my mind.

Why don'tcha join us for the discussion tonite during Coast to Coast's broadcast? I think the topic will be right up your alley and you might enjoy yourself.

Sat 10.13
Founder of the Aboriginal Living Skills School, Cody Lundin will discuss the psychology of survival, from backwoods self reliance to urban disaster mitigation.

[Divinorumus]

What do you believe in, anyhow, besides just "Divinorumus"?
Beliefs? I don't make speculative bets on guesses and beliefs. I have a few beliefs, but that is all they are, just mere beliefs, nothing I'm beholding to, nothing I'd swear by, nothing that I could say is true (otherwise it wouldn't be a belief). What matters are the facts, the truth. A belief is nothing more than a guess ... and anyone can guess ... and be totally wrong.


Yup. My opinions and beliefs after nearly a lifetime of observations ... Well. if you've actually "observed" something, it's not a belief any longer.



Why don'tcha join us for the discussion tonite during Coast to Coast's broadcast? I think the topic will be right up your alley and you might enjoy yourself.

Sat 10.13
Founder of the Aboriginal Living Skills School, Cody Lundin will discuss the psychology of survival, from backwoods self reliance to urban disaster mitigation.
Survival talk? Gee, that automatically implies there will also be some doom talk again too. Cool. Okay.

[Dera]

Survival talk? Gee, that automatically implies there will also be some doom talk again too. Cool. Okay.

Excellent! See ya later. :veryhappy

[lastconundrum]

It's always great to hear or read of new information and interesting topics. However, (and this especially applies to the Internet and TV), anyone who takes vital information without their own personal research is a fool.
Find some good sources and check them against each other and your own common sense. You can't do all the research yourself.


Oh, I'm not pushing any belief(s), I hope them religious folks stick with their make-believe truths and get this Armageddon judgment day thang of theirs underway so we can free up some elbowroom around here.

Once the carnivores hang you up for luncheon meat you won't worry so much about elbow room. :yikes:

[Dera]

Back to the original question: "Do we believe everything we are told?"

:biglaugh: Of course not. You've got to be kidding. You are posting on Imaginative Worlds, aren't ya? :lmao:

[Dera]

Darn. I missed this earlier. Div, what exactly are you trying to say to us? You said, "What matters are the facts". Well, OK, man, what are the facts? Please 'splain. We're listening.

[Divinorumus]

Darn. I missed this earlier. Div, what exactly are you trying to say to us? You said, "What matters are the facts". Well, OK, man, what are the facts? Please 'splain. We're listening.
It doesn't matter any longer, it's already too late, there's nothing that will stop the inevitable now, so any 'splaining would be pointless. Everyone, believe whatever you want, pretend it's true too if you want, humans always do.

A "belief" is a lot like a virus, a plague. Once a belief begins to infect a sufficient number of hosts, it begins to take on a deceptive life force all of its own, and it can become (practically) unstoppable.

Did you know some humans have even refused the truth, choosing what they want to believe instead. That wouldn't be so tragic if there were not so many followers of what Simon Says and his made-up beliefs.

Really, it doesn't matter any longer. 89% of humanity will be gone from Earth four years from now, and there's not a damn thing that can be done to change any of that now. (well, okay, I suppose that percentage could be increased, but you know what I mean)

Your world and species is doomed, and all because of a few incorrect beliefs and your species inability to resist the temptation that an incorrect belief can present

[Alpha]

Excerpt from http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/10/do-we-believe-e.html#more
=====
Do We Believe Everything We're Told?
Some early experiments on anchoring and adjustment tested whether distracting the subjects - rendering subjects cognitively "busy" by asking them to keep a lookout for "5" in strings of numbers, or some such - would decrease adjustment, and hence increase the influence of anchors. Most of the experiments seemed to bear out the idea that cognitive busyness increased anchoring, and more generally contamination.

Looking over the accumulating experimental results - more and more findings of contamination, exacerbated by cognitive busyness - Daniel Gilbert saw a truly crazy pattern emerging: Do we believe everything we're told?

One might naturally think that on being told a proposition, we would first comprehend what the proposition meant, then consider the proposition, and finally accept or reject it. This obvious-seeming model of cognitive process flow dates back to Descartes. But Descartes's rival, Spinoza, disagreed; Spinoza suggested that we first passively accept a proposition in the course of comprehending it, and only afterward actively disbelieve propositions which are rejected by consideration.
=====
The whole article is worth reading and explains to me why we are constantly being fed unbelievable lies as propaganda. :censored:

Fascinating article and psychological study last :biggthump

I think this technique is being used all the time in a different way to cement wanted thinking and paradigm.

Just look at the mind control machine...the TV, which is continually using a different type of distraction technique while pumping either true or false material.

One think that is left out of this study and very important IMHO is the source of information...be it truth, lies or propaganda.

How many people don't you know that will believe something because:

the saw it on CNN or the news therefore it must be true
they read it in the newspaper, therefore it must be true
their religious leader: preacher, priest, Rev, Pope, rabbi, Mullah etc., said it there again, must be true
their political leader - President, Prime Minister said it etc, etc., etc
It's this conditioning or indoctrinated paradigm of "credibility" of source is extremely potent and influential.....

Even the media - TV and radio have become a god source - of course it wouldn't be on the media if it weren't true!!!!

This masterminded " ubiquitous blind faith" IMHO has been masterminded and extremely well orchestrated over a huge span of time....as we blindly still look for the wizard who is laughing and lining his/her pockets as he/she manipulates behind the curtain.

Guess we need to figure out if we're Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin man, the Scarecrow, Glenda, the Wicked Witch of the west or someone else in this paradigm of "democracy" ;)

[Project]

critical thinking is the filter which prevents this. unfortunately, much of this info is delivered to us while in a hypnotic TV state, so you cannot use your filters as effectively.

[VOguy]

critical thinking is the filter which prevents this. unfortunately, much of this info is delivered to us while in a hypnotic TV state, so you cannot use your filters as effectively.

Sure you can. Turn off the crap. Get yourself a shortwave radio and listen to various countries outside of your area, and all the views. They weigh all the input and go with your gut.

It's the one reason I have access to Canadian satellite, and have shortwave radios. You can't believe EVERYTHING that your country tells you. I can't remember who said it, but there was a great quote that went something like ...

I don't care that the government is watching me and trying to sway my mind. What I do care about is who is watching government and what they might do when they get pissed.

[Project]

I am saying majority of people let themselves be indoctrinated every day. This is where belief is formed.

Belief has little place in my world, as in every critical thinker's world.