New Psychology Study on Group Think

[Apologeticsislying]

Just read Jonathan Haidt "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion." (2013)

It is an amazing book. I will try and share many ideas this weekend if I get home early enough from hunting. One item that really, REALLY caught my eye was his analysis of what reason is about. Reason is not about finding truth, it is about justifying your own position on the choices you have made to believe.

And a person in a group, religious or political will very most likely never change their mind regardless of how logical or analytical an argument is if it goes against his group. Because reason and logic will not change a person's mind. They defend even the most ludicrous ideas and doctrines so long as it protects and supports the group.

This explains apologetic online behavior perfectly. They fight, because they see any disagreement as a fight against their group, their club, their religion. They unreasonably maintain the manner of evidence, discussion, and analysis if it most benefits the group, not whether it is truth or not. Truth has precious little to do with it.

Amazing stuff all around.

[moksha]

They defend even the most ludicrous ideas and doctrines so long as it protects and supports the group.

This sounds like helpful information in understanding the dynamics behind Senators Lindsey Graham and Mitch McConnell.

[Hagoth]

Flat earth. I just read Aristotle's and Ptolemy's arguments for a round earth and they are solid. People have accepted that the earth is round for about 2500 years. Until now that is, a day in which we have overwhelming proof that it is round and there should be no room at all for doubt. The underpavement of the flat earth movement is Christian fundamentalism, but it has now grown into a kind of religious community all its own. This becomes obvious when you watch the Behind the Curve documentary on Netflix and see people bearing their testimonies of the flat earth in front of congregations and taking pride in their persecutions at the hands of wicked round-earthers.

[Emower]

I have a thread going on that book, although it is taking me a while to get through it. I can migrate my posts to this thread or we can discuss it over on the other one, but I did hope that I could get a discussion going on it. I am loving the book.

[Apologeticsislying]

I have a thread going on that book, although it is taking me a while to get through it. I can migrate my posts to this thread or we can discuss it over on the other one, but I did hope that I could get a discussion going on it. I am loving the book.

I didnt realize it was already being discussed. YES! If we can combine threads and put thoughts together I would enjoy that immensely. It is a delightful book. I have been through it twice this week. Can't put it down.

[Apologeticsislying]

Yes, no major group goes unchallenged. His refuting the New Atheists is perhaps the heart of his book on my take. Wow, and he refutes them as an atheist himself, this ain't no Christian doing dastardly apologetics, this is a scientific psychologist doing his job, and doing it very well. His views on group cooperation is remarkable in light of what the East says about the idea of overcoming the self and sacrificing ego to accomplish greater goods. His examples of this are just spot on so far as I can tell.
It is to his refutation of the worshippers of rationality and the use of reason as the means to acquire truth. His analysis of hos intuition and "feelings" are first and foremost our reaction on moral issues, reasoning comes after. Hume was exactly right according to many new and powerful experiments that intuition first, reason second and that reason is to be the servant of feelings, not the other way around. Plato got it wrong, we do not and actually, cannot base our lives upon a foundation of reason and rationality absent our emotions. We are emotional beings. We cannot do or be otherwise. Emotions and feelings are our human foundation.

Like I said, this book is a rocket and a call for us to grace our minds with a little bit more realistic approach to others. There is nothing wrong with integrity with the realization that we have become short-sighted and divisive for no other reason than some of our pitiful leaders are that way. We do not have to follow them, or act out after their actions. We can do better, and we really ought to. This is a clarion call for diligence to begin combating idiocy with diligent benevolence. It is our time to replace anger with temperance, fortitude, and decency. It is our time to replace plain stupidity with thoughtfulness, character, and wisdom.

No one has a monopoly of truth and rightness. Not in any politics, religion, sociology or even psychology, but we are a nation, we are a group, and there are groups within groups, wherein there is great power to come together and accomplish far more than merely calling names, cat calling and imagining ignorance is bravery. It's not. We are going to have to persevere as we try to steer this shipwreck around a bit, but with sacrifice, courtesy, and appreciation of others, our friends, and yes our very neighbors, not to Republicans, to our neighbors. Not to Catholics or gays or foreigners, our neighbors. Our friends, our families. We are all in this together, and we had better stop bailing on each other, and become unified against into actually and for real becoming great, great as humanity. For that is what we all are. No human left behind, no human dissed and slapped, no human charged wrongly with heinousness which whether true or not, is just not helpful.

Like I said, this book really has my attention. I've been through it twice this week, and I ain't done yet.