Michael
Dec 16th 2009, 11:06 AM
This is not news to me. I can't count the number of times I've meticulously and completely shot down someone's fanciful argument as something entirely based upon myth - only to see the same person repeat the same myth-based argument the next day - with the same conviction they did the day before when I painstakingly informed them of all the errors of their argument.
For anyone curious about how and why this happens so often, here is an article that purports to explain the phenomenum. I've witnessed the effect so often that I'm inclined to agree with this explanation. People are indeed forgetful and are certainly inclined to favor 'truthiness' that confortably reinforces their favorite biases. People are so ingrained to this type of thinking that apparently no amount of rational deduction can cause them to put aside their silly notions for anything more than a few minutes - until they forget what they just read and go right back to their comfortable truthiness that reinforces their favorite biases.
Article (http://www.philosophypress.co.uk/?p=876)
For many people, "true knowledge" is that which flatters their own subjective bias. Apparently most people are impervious to rational arguments to the contrary. Like I said, no surprise there.
For anyone curious about how and why this happens so often, here is an article that purports to explain the phenomenum. I've witnessed the effect so often that I'm inclined to agree with this explanation. People are indeed forgetful and are certainly inclined to favor 'truthiness' that confortably reinforces their favorite biases. People are so ingrained to this type of thinking that apparently no amount of rational deduction can cause them to put aside their silly notions for anything more than a few minutes - until they forget what they just read and go right back to their comfortable truthiness that reinforces their favorite biases.
Article (http://www.philosophypress.co.uk/?p=876)
For many people, "true knowledge" is that which flatters their own subjective bias. Apparently most people are impervious to rational arguments to the contrary. Like I said, no surprise there.