We Believe What We Don't Want to Believe

[rowyn]

I was thinking about this topic a few days ago. People, perhaps especially Americans, are often accused of believing what suits their preferences. Some think that religious faiths are basically wish-fulfillment, believed not because evidence supports them, but because people want to think they are saved, that there's an afterlife, a Heaven, etc.

Of course, many early religions were appalling in what they did, and what they "promised" their worshippers. I remember having a conversation with Greywolf about why a basically good person might worship fundamentally evil gods. "He doesn't believe in this because he wants to. He believes because it's true." In his eyes, anyway. I expect for a lot of followers of cruel gods, it never occurred to them that belief was a choice. They would no more think "we don't have to worship these evil creatures" than we would think "if I jump off this roof, I won't fall to the ground."

And while I don't hold any religious convictions that I'm unhappy about, I do believe in a number of things that I'd just as soon be wrong about. For example, I'd be thrilled if it turned out that taking the profit motive away from pharmaceutical and medical developments didn't impact the rate at which new advances were made. If it happened that universal health care didn't create spiraling medical costs, decrease the overall qality of care, and bring medical technology to a standstill, I would be delighted. Obviously, I don't think that's the case. But I would be more than happy to be wrong about it.

I'm sure it would take decades of American intervention, in troops and dollars, to make a stable democracy out of Iraq. But if it miraculously happened by next summer, hey, I'd drink to being wrong in a heartbeat. If the Patriot Act prevents acts of terrorism without damaging civil liberties, I would take being wrong about it with absolute glee.

I think quite a lot of us believe in "harsh realities" that we don't want to be true. Some people become invested in being right, and they want to be right even if it means suffering and grief results. (Americans who opposed going to war against Iraq, and then rooted for American troops to be slaughtered, spring to mind). But I don't think most people are so enamored of being right that they'd rather get a bad outcome than be wrong.

But now I'm curious: what sorts of things do you hope you're wrong about?

Comments

Cynicism

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

I read your post a few days ago, and meant to get back to it, and haven't.

All I can really add to this is that, well... I personally try not to be cynical.

That is, when I expect people to do something stupid, but I'm really hoping that they won't. I usually recognize that I really don't *want* to believe that someone's being stupid, but sometimes the temptation is overwhelming.

And, I think cynicism is generally close to the situation that you're describing.

Still, I have to say that I'm not cynical very often, or at worst, I try not to be cynical.

Re: Cynicism

[rowyn]

I think cynicism is too glib a turn of phrase. I don't think it's fair, for example, to say that it's "cynical" to believe it will take a lot of time, effort, and money to make Iraq a democracy.

To give an even more extreme example: is it "cynical" to assume that a toddler's first work of art will not show the technical mastery of Rembrandt? :) But you can bet that if the toddler's work did, I wouldn't be disappointed!

And on the other hand, there's a certain inherent optimism in some opposing views. For example, some people advocate the government providing social services (welfare, unemployment, etc.) because they believe that the government is best suited to this task. I think they're wrong, and that private charities are best suited to this task. You can say that I am "cynical" about government, and I can say that my political opposite is "cynical" about private charities. Or you can say we're both optimistic about the abilities of our chosen vehicle. :)

To me, cynicism is saying "all the options are bad; we're doomed." To start out with "Option A is better than that option B" and then be pleased when option B turns out well after all isn't the result of a cynical outlook -- it's just life.

Re: Cynicism

[kelloggs2066.livejournal.com]

The example you gave originally of Americans who opposed the war, and then secretly (or not so secretly) hoped for large numbers of casualties to prove that they were in the right, is, cynicism beyond all cynicism.

That's the sort of cynicism I try to recognize and avoid in myself.

The cry of the cynic has always been "I'm just being realistic!" But, there's a fine line between "Being realistic" and Being cynical.

I try to draw that line in such a way as to avoid a no-win scenerio. (Maybe not on any sort of a concious level, but I always like to look for options, even when those options may be a long shot.) Many people don't make that distinction.

Being a cynic or a pessimist is always easy. All you have to do is to say, "It won't work." or "I give up." or "People are bad/stupid."

Being an optimist means always hoping for a solution. Solutions aren't always easy to find. Beliving that a solution exists if you can find it can take a lot of effort. Certainly more than, "I give up."

So, when I'm "Being realistic", I at least hope that I leave enough room that I'm also Prepared to be surprised.