RE: How Irrational Are You?
July 1, 2014 at 2:33 pm
(This post was last modified: July 1, 2014 at 2:33 pm by Simon Moon.)
I am completely rational when it comes to me beliefs toward existential claims.
If a claims for the existence of a god or gods or various versions of afterlives do not meet their burden of proof, I will not believe them.
I want my beliefs to map to reality as closely as possible. Basing them on the rational examination of evidence is the best method of accomplishing this known.
But in other parts of my life, I could be considered irrational. For example:
I've dated women, that I rationally knew were bad for me.
I've surfed in remote areas of the world, far from medical help, in conditions (super shallow coral reefs, deadly scorpion fish, deadly sea snakes, sharks) that I know I was not being rational for surfing.
If a claims for the existence of a god or gods or various versions of afterlives do not meet their burden of proof, I will not believe them.
I want my beliefs to map to reality as closely as possible. Basing them on the rational examination of evidence is the best method of accomplishing this known.
But in other parts of my life, I could be considered irrational. For example:
I've dated women, that I rationally knew were bad for me.
I've surfed in remote areas of the world, far from medical help, in conditions (super shallow coral reefs, deadly scorpion fish, deadly sea snakes, sharks) that I know I was not being rational for surfing.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
