This is a far more interesting conversation. What it sounds like you’re talking about is mental conditioning. The specific example you’ve given, that of a person with an eating disorder, is an interesting one.
Does the person with the eating disorder think they have a problem? Often they do. They know that their weight is unhealthy, that their eating habits are destructive, but that isn’t the problem. For them this isn’t a matter of believing a false thing, there’s something else going on. And we need to deal with that first.
A better example is of Winston in the novel 1984. He comes to believe that 2+2=5 if big brother says it is. Or that the regime really does improve the lives of people. This belief is due to being fed lies, which he can not know the truth of, and of physical torture. Winston’s beliefs aren’t conscious choices. They are obligate based on his conditions.
Does the person with the eating disorder think they have a problem? Often they do. They know that their weight is unhealthy, that their eating habits are destructive, but that isn’t the problem. For them this isn’t a matter of believing a false thing, there’s something else going on. And we need to deal with that first.
A better example is of Winston in the novel 1984. He comes to believe that 2+2=5 if big brother says it is. Or that the regime really does improve the lives of people. This belief is due to being fed lies, which he can not know the truth of, and of physical torture. Winston’s beliefs aren’t conscious choices. They are obligate based on his conditions.
