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photon · 10-25-2010, 02:34 PM

To be serious, beliefs are often informed and motivated by very low level thoughts and desires.

Some people have a desire to be contrary (just like other people have a desire to fit in), some people have a desire to be free of any kind of control (just like other people like having other people be responsible for things).

I think these basic things influence our thoughts and beliefs to a great degree, and if we aren't careful it's very easy for cognitive biases to come into play and basically give us the information we need to let ourselves believe something, despite the rightness or wrongness of the information.

I don't think that there's any question that there are people out there who desire power and that power corrupts. I don't doubt that governments often try to erode personal liberties for their own goals. I don't doubt that governments do things and try to hide those things from their people (for good and bad reasons).

And there's so much that goes on in the world that we we simply cannot understand. Not just because it's not understandable, but simply because we don't have all the information. And in some cases it may not be understandable right now, emergent behaviours out of systems happens all the time, there's no reason that shouldn't happen in society and governments.

So for CTers and NWOers, I don't see it being a measure of intelligence or craziness, I see it as cognitive bias combined with basic personality traits combined with the brain's desire to understand (and its ability to create a belief and believe it rather than abide the unknown).

I guess maybe because I've seen these same things in other areas in my own mind in the past.

10-25-2010, 02:34 PM	#470
photon The new goggles also do nothing. Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Calgary Exp:	To be serious, beliefs are often informed and motivated by very low level thoughts and desires. Some people have a desire to be contrary (just like other people have a desire to fit in), some people have a desire to be free of any kind of control (just like other people like having other people be responsible for things). I think these basic things influence our thoughts and beliefs to a great degree, and if we aren't careful it's very easy for cognitive biases to come into play and basically give us the information we need to let ourselves believe something, despite the rightness or wrongness of the information. I don't think that there's any question that there are people out there who desire power and that power corrupts. I don't doubt that governments often try to erode personal liberties for their own goals. I don't doubt that governments do things and try to hide those things from their people (for good and bad reasons). And there's so much that goes on in the world that we we simply cannot understand. Not just because it's not understandable, but simply because we don't have all the information. And in some cases it may not be understandable right now, emergent behaviours out of systems happens all the time, there's no reason that shouldn't happen in society and governments. So for CTers and NWOers, I don't see it being a measure of intelligence or craziness, I see it as cognitive bias combined with basic personality traits combined with the brain's desire to understand (and its ability to create a belief and believe it rather than abide the unknown). I guess maybe because I've seen these same things in other areas in my own mind in the past.