Belief is a powerful force… it makes people argue the illogical aspect of Santa while believing in an afterlife, or scoffing at fairies and leprechauns while believing in magical, floating space pixies with omniscient presence and ubiquitous influence.

This NY Times article about Snopes is interesting, and they touch on something very near and dear to me – The nature and power of belief.

“Rumors are a great source of comfort for people,” Mrs. Mikkelson said.

Myths and belief – it’s the necessary comfort that is imbued into irrational or illogical approaches to filtering one’s world view that will impact your ability to clearly experience or understand the natural order around us.  Emotional investment will impact the most earnest of us, and our will or unwillingness to admit something, is known to impact our ability to operate, function, and interact.  Belief is a powerful undertow, and it can blind us to the most obvious of things.

It’s true that most believers don’t believe because it makes sense, it’s that it’s too hard to or scary to not believe.  A lot of the time it isn’t that they believe or disbelieve, but rather that the mind is so taxed or crippled that it’s easier just to accept what’s in front of you, or what someone told you.  Arguments of authority never end well, and if there is nothing else you get from this ramble, it’s this:

Be skeptical.  Take pride in facts.  Earnestly debunk, with no alterior motive than information.  Learn.  Grow.  Challenge your comfort zones, because when you are comfortable you become intellectually lazy.  Inquire into your own beliefs… overthrow your status quo.

And when someone sends you some silly forward online… draw your scimitar of fact and wit.  Check snopes, question deeply…  it might be quicker to just believe and move on, but you could help prevent misinformation or lies…. something deeply troubling and problematic in our society.  They are part of ignorance, and that creates fear, which creates panic.

“Supposin’ is good, but finding out is better” – Mark Twain

Unfetter truth in light of ease.

About Uncle Fishbits

I'm.. just this guy, you know?

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