Is Belief a Choice?

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_Runtu
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Post by _Runtu »

It's interesting that Wade adopts a Kuhnian approach to changing belief without accepting one of Kuhn's major premises: that it is an unexpected change in the way the world is perceived that triggers a paradigm shift. It's not a choice to deal with anomalous information, but the choice involves how you deal with it. The belief must change, of necessity, in the event of anomaly.
Runtu's Rincón

If you just talk, I find that your mouth comes out with stuff. -- Karl Pilkington
_desert_vulture
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Post by _desert_vulture »

truth dancer wrote:Hi DV...

I totally agree. However, some people's spiritual experiences seem irrational to everyone except themselves. Does that make their faith irrational? I'm not sure about the answer to that one. I am now in the process of comparing my experiences with people in other belief systems, and have found some amazing similarities.


I know quite a few people who have beliefs that others find completely irrational.... and I'm quite sure some of my beliefs sound irrational to others. Peoples through the ages had beliefs that, today look irrational but to them they made perfect sense. And, I have worked with a few people who have delusion disorder... they completely believe their "reality" is the true one and everyone else is not "getting" it.

The thing is... we all have beliefs that make sense to us. We believe what seems possible and true (at least to us).

One of the things that bothered me so much as a believer, trying to make sense of "stuff" was that people all over the world have all sorts of spiritual experiences that are as powerful as any LDS spiritual experience. Those of other religions believe just as strongly, have just as amazing experiences, have similar healings, feel the spirit (or spirits) in deeply powerful and life altering ways.

So... I think there is much more to choosing what one beliefs... it just seems to me to be much more complicated than that.

:-)

At least this is a rational belief to me! LOL!

~dancer~

Hi dancer!

Have you ever heard of Daniel Tammet? He is a British man that is a whiz at mathematical calculations. He sees numbers as colors, shapes, and patterns, where sequences of numbers form a landscape in his mind. He says that he sees the numbers 1 through 10,000, each having a different shade or color. He can perform incredibly difficult mathematical calculations in seconds, using only his mind. He is a savant, but has very few limiting characteristics that are typical of savants. I'm sure there were a few people in his life who thought his mathematical methodology was irrational too, until he memorized pi to 22,500 decimal points, and recited it in 5 hours at Oxford University. It's funny but people who have a different way of thinking seem irrational, until they prove themselves, then we call them geniuses. :) Here's a couple video clips of Daniel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNcmQydD7U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vs6R5YZQ3c
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