Too often of late, I have encountered situations in which somebody escalates a perfectly acceptable discussion into a war (of words) because he or she has a “firmly held belief” in something or other. Those beliefs can be religious, political, pro- or anti- Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, or about whether or not human industry has caused the worldwide rise in temperature.
There is an enormous difference between believing something is true and the factual proof that it is true. 2 + 2 = 4: that is a fact. You can count it out on your fingers and 2+2 will never sum to anything BUT 4.
Things that are NOT facts but “firmly held beliefs” are mostly inarguable because one’s emotions and self-validation are involved. One holds an opinion – which others may also hold – and the holders of the same opinion validate each other: “Of course you’re right. Of course we believe thus-and-so and it is righteous.”
It has been proven that repetition of something – from a myth to an advertisement for toothpaste to an outright lie – makes more of an impression upon the average person than anything else. Our brains have evolved to process the incredible amount of incoming stimuli with shortcuts to help us decide whether to “fight or flee.” We see a barking dog and the brain shortcut tells us to be wary of it because it might bite. If we see too many barking dogs we are apt to believe that ALL dogs bite.
The above is a simple example. Of course not all dogs bite…but a person who is afraid of dogs has become so because of repeated impressions and admonitions to be careful. The brain shortcut has gone into overdrive and it is only a short leap from the belief that all dogs bite to an irrational fear and hatred of dogs.
The same goes for people who use their brain shortcuts for political purposes: their firmly held beliefs become set in their minds and no amount of factual refutation is going to change their perceptions. They see Bernie Sanders complain that the “system is rigged” against him repeatedly – and neither research the issue nor do they understand how Democratic Party rules work. They hear Donald Trump repeat that he’s a rich and successful businessman – and no amount of factual detail from public records is going to convince them otherwise.
So, what can one do about these “firmly held beliefs?”
There is a difference between the terms “belief” and “thought.” Thinking and believing are NOT equivalent terms. Thinking connotes that one is able to reason from point A to point B to point C – and to reach a conclusion based upon the evidence. Believing connotes an entirely different POV that comes from the realm of spirituality and faith.
For example, one may believe that abortion is a sin because one’s spiritual leaders/advisors make that a tenet of faith. I’m willing to respect such things. What I do NOT respect is the believer’s irrational argument that because abortion is a sin, we must legislate laws to that effect and – further – never discuss the ways to reduce the number of abortions: fact-based sex education, access to family planning and how to avoid getting pregnant in the first place.
We ultimately come down to the dichotomy between what is real, true and fact-based and that which is imaginary. Facts may be unpalatable but retreat into the imaginary world while making up an alternative narrative shows both immaturity and mental instability.
