[TainuibeFaimb]

We may choose to believe that there is a heaven, like Paul. We can choose to believe that we simply cease to exist, Like OCT and thunda. But we don't KNOW.

why do we believe things? How is belief related to knowledge? Can we TRULY ~choose~ to believe something?

Why are some people so sure of their beliefs, especially faith-based beliefs, and others, like me, are constantly questioning? Maybe it's not a choice at all???

Great questions, and hopefully we will find some great answers!

Let's start with a great video by my fav Dr Michael Shermer. (I call him Dr Delicious!)

YouTube - Michael Shermer: Why people believe strange things

[repldoinfo]

1) People tend not to question received wisdom or received beliefs.

2) We all want answers. Faith in a religion provides answers to the nagging "why?" of existence.

Some of us realize, however, that not having the answers, being constantly questioning, is more comforting than mere faith can ever be.

[acceraStoof]

Some of us realize, however, that not having the answers, being constantly questioning, is more comforting than mere faith can ever be.

That's a really good point, and is also the difference between faith & science: science is all about not having an answer, and looking for one. Faith is about not needing an answer, and many times not even a question.

[chuecfafresslds]

Now I have found 3 interesting things about the basis of believing recently... patternicity, theory of mind, and the lack of free will.

Patternicity is the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise This is also called the priming effect, our brain and senses are prepared to interpret stimuli according to an expected model.

Where do we get the models? We learn them bit by bit, year after year as we grow. When we're young, we don't have enough of an experience base to form these models, but around age 5, we suddenly seem to get it: other people have minds like we do. Psychologists call this the Theory of Mind and define it as "the ability to attribute mental states -beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.- to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own."

So at an early age, we realize others have mental states, and we start noticing patterns and forming mental models based on what we see. The people around us and the situations we find ourselves in become the basis for what eventually turn into our beliefs.