By Anna Hunt | 16 February 2018
WAKING TIMES — The world has changed tremendously from the time of our ancestors. Today, we develop most of our beliefs based on external forces, with very little first-hand experience. Where the early humans relied on direct sensory experience to shape their beliefs, we now rely on language and our own ability to discern falsehoods from truth.
With language, we undoubtedly receive a plethora of opinions and bias based on the orator’s own belief system. Yet, we are willing to believe much, without taking the time to investigate new ideas or seeking to experience them first-hand. What is the reason for this eager credulity and can we control it?
The 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes formalized the idea that, “if one wishes to know the truth, then one should not believe an assertion until one finds evidence to justify doing so.” […]
In my studied opinion people freely *know* a thing and *believe* its complete opposite. Every presidential election season they know the candidates sensible promises are total lies but they actually put faith in them anyway. When a pol is elected and slams the door in their faces, they *think* they’re disappointed and *act* disappointed (even indignant) but not-so-deep-down they know otherwise very well.
Authority figures tell them Israel is “America’s only friend in the Mideast” and they don’t even stop to ask how the hell we got to that point — etc.
Bottom line: people are children today. They’ve been massively infantilized by movies and TV. I don’t know if adults were adults in 1819 or 1719 or 1319, but I know they at least acted like it on growing up.
Here is why some folks vote–“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain.”
My response–the time for complaining is over.