Runboard.com
Слава Україні!



🙂       Use the black navigation bar to log in or create your account.

 
Lesigner Girl Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Minerva
Head of Runboard staff

Registered: 11-2005
Posts: 9606
Karma: 132 (+147/-15)
ReplyQuote
Psychology of Belief


With the Dunning-Kruger effect, many young-earth creationists with no understanding of science will rate their understanding higher than it actually is, and will repeat falsehoods and fallacies over and over again as though they believe they're teaching us something.

With the reverse Dunning-Kruger effect, many people who do understand the evidence that contradicts their beliefs can underestimate their own understanding of things. As young as 6 years old, I wondered how dinosaurs could have become extinct millions of years before humans came along, if humans were created within a week of the universe. However, I figured I was just too young to understand, and that I would understand it once I grew up. I knew it was a contradiction, but I believed that both things had to be true because adults were telling me these things, and what 6-year-old would claim to know more than their grandmother or school teacher?

Scientists can fall victim to the reverse Dunning-Kruger effect, too, and highly intelligent people are supposedly able to rationalize beliefs derived through irrational means, better than less intelligent people are. Of course, less intelligent people may not realize it's irrational to begin with, and just see it as an obvious truth.

There's a reason why most scientists are atheists, especially scientists who work in fields related to genetics, physics, cosmology, geology, paleontology, and every other field of study that contradicts young-earth beliefs. But, there are a few scientists with varying theistic beliefs, including billions of years of guided evolution, and even young-earth creationism.

I've pondered possible reasons for this before, from fear of death to fear of Hell, but can it also be because some of these intelligent people don't recognize their own self-worth, and have used their intelligence to reinforce their irrational beliefs? When I say 'irrational beliefs,' I'm not only talking about religion. I'm talking about any belief that's formed without solid evidence, including religion, alien abductions, bigfoot, chem-trails, 9/11 conspiracies, moon hoaxers, and a whole slew of other unsubstantiated beliefs that many intelligent people hold.

Could it be that these people find a feeling of self-worth in "knowing" the supposed "truth" that "eludes" most people?



---
Runboard Knowledge Base
Runboard Support Forums
Find other message boards
2/17/2014, 1:59 am Link to this post PM Lesigner Girl Read Blog
 
SKOKEY Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Citizen

Registered: 12-2005
Province: Bennington, NH
Posts: 1308
Karma: 38 (+39/-1)
ReplyQuote
Re:


Yeah, I think many people are afraid of not knowing how everything works and would rather believe they know than not know. Once they hook their caboose to a train that is bound for glory, it's hard to pull the pin and get left behind to try to find a new engine that comes complete with a map and a destination.
2/17/2014, 11:42 pm Link to this post PM SKOKEY
 
Queenyforever Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Ignore me.

Registered: 01-2007
Province: Just north of the clouds...
Posts: 1467
Karma: 48 (+48/-0)
ReplyQuote
Re: Psychology of Belief


I agree with Skokey. I've been around very intelligent people, who I 'thought' already knew things, only to discover that they believed something different. I've asked a few, "is that how you truly think? Or are you afraid to be YOU?" Most actually said, 'they truly believed something that was completely opposite of what I thought they would have.
Possibly because they were afraid of 'not knowing'....or coming off as not being at the top of their game.
I don't know...but I was rather stunned.

---

“Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.”

2/18/2014, 9:57 pm Link to this post PM Queenyforever Read Blog
 
Lesigner Girl Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Minerva
Head of Runboard staff

Registered: 11-2005
Posts: 9606
Karma: 132 (+147/-15)
ReplyQuote
Re: Psychology of Belief


It always baffles me when an intelligent person expresses a strange belief and tries to defend it with 'reasoning' that's based on pure speculation, because they either don't know the facts or don't believe the facts.



---
Runboard Knowledge Base
Runboard Support Forums
Find other message boards
2/19/2014, 5:59 pm Link to this post PM Lesigner Girl Read Blog
 
Queenyforever Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Ignore me.

Registered: 01-2007
Province: Just north of the clouds...
Posts: 1467
Karma: 48 (+48/-0)
ReplyQuote
Re: Psychology of Belief


I'm totally with you. I know I have stood there with my mouth agape as an intelligent persons tries to explain something to me, that I know can not possibly be correct....

A Pagan friend on FB posted this...I LOVED IT!

BITCHRAFT:
The art of pissing people off by telling then the truth.

SEE! WE practice Bitchcraft! emoticon

---

“Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.”

2/19/2014, 7:13 pm Link to this post PM Queenyforever Read Blog
 
Lesigner Girl Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Minerva
Head of Runboard staff

Registered: 11-2005
Posts: 9606
Karma: 132 (+147/-15)
ReplyQuote
Re: Psychology of Belief


Lol. Your friend sounds ornery. emoticon

---
Runboard Knowledge Base
Runboard Support Forums
Find other message boards
2/19/2014, 8:01 pm Link to this post PM Lesigner Girl Read Blog
 
Queenyforever Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Ignore me.

Registered: 01-2007
Province: Just north of the clouds...
Posts: 1467
Karma: 48 (+48/-0)
ReplyQuote
Re: Psychology of Belief


Oh most definitely....she has both of us beat! emoticon

---

“Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.”

2/19/2014, 8:39 pm Link to this post PM Queenyforever Read Blog
 
Lesigner Girl Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Minerva
Head of Runboard staff

Registered: 11-2005
Posts: 9606
Karma: 132 (+147/-15)
ReplyQuote
Re: Psychology of Belief


emoticon emoticon

---
Runboard Knowledge Base
Runboard Support Forums
Find other message boards
2/19/2014, 11:09 pm Link to this post PM Lesigner Girl Read Blog
 
Queenyforever Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Ignore me.

Registered: 01-2007
Province: Just north of the clouds...
Posts: 1467
Karma: 48 (+48/-0)
ReplyQuote
Re: Psychology of Belief


 emoticon She's ornery, Pagan AND the horticultural teacher at NMSU! emoticon

---

“Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.”

2/20/2014, 8:32 pm Link to this post PM Queenyforever Read Blog
 


Add to this discussion



You are not logged in (login)
Back To Top

This board's time is GMT.