I love studies that show us the truth about who we are as
humans.
Yale law professor Dan Kahan did a study that shows that
smart people cannot “do the math,” if it goes against what they believe. The article in Mother Jones outlines this
nicely and links to the original article:
When given data that gun control doesn’t reduce crime,
liberal types with excellent math skills interpreted the data as if the gun controls
did work. The same was true for math
savvy conservatives given data that gun controls helped decrease crime.
This is about gun control.
However, professor Kahan has written about similar studies regarding
drug legalization.
So what does this mean about who we are as humans?
We are frail creatures, full of fear of the unknown. We are fearful of loss, fearful of death. If we are wrong, it can feel that we are
dying. Loss of the Ego can feel like
death.
Much of this same way of thinking I see in scientists who
can’t believe there can be anything beyond the science that they think they
know well.
As Thomas Kuhn wrote about paradigm shifts, often the people
“in charge” need to die before new ideas can be accepted.
Once again, I advocate, “letting go.” Let go of any fixed belief. Be open to new ideas. Dialogue and spend time with people who have
different beliefs than your own. Sit
with your own beliefs and examine them for flaws.
Anything that raises your emotions may be the best place to
examine for false beliefs. Sometimes we
don’t know the truth. Better to admit
this than to carry and try to spread your own false beliefs.
I am not immune from false beliefs. Yet, I try to stay open to all possibilities
of truth.
Drink from life and ideas with a sense of humor.
Remember, there are only 3 Commandments:
Acknowledge that there is only One Source,
Love Everything, by doing no harm,
then
Enjoy Yourself, and all that surrounds you!
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