Is it usually true that one whom wants to believe something will find a way to prove it?

Question

By adding and subtracting variables, truth can become somewhat fluid.

“What the Thinker Thinks, The Prover Proves”.
8 circuits of brain

Out of 5-7 and 9 what do you like for the best answer. Please VOTE!

Answer 1

Matt H...........

I know where you got that quote "What the Thinker thinks, the Prover proves" ...

It's from one of my favorite books called "Prometheus Rising", by Robert Anton Wilson.....The eight-circuit theory of consciousness is from Timothy Leary. The first four circuits are an extention of Sigmond Freud's stages of psychosexual development, the last four get kind of quantum-mystical......

What Wilson was trying to say was that the reality we perceive is largely (but not wholly) conditioned and warped by our own assumptions. Our brain, he says, is hardware, but it is also running a kind of software which takes the form of beliefs, filters, interpretations, assumptions, memories and emotional overtones. We project our internal state outwards into the world: if we are angry, the world seems antagonistic. If we are sad, the world seems terrible and tragic. If we are happy, the world seems simple and bright....

Wilson's intention, his greatest hope, is for his readers to understand this, and to begin to reprogram their own neurological software. He thinks that if enough people do this, the human world will naturally begin to improve - he is a Utopian, who believes that it is possible for humanity to learn to live in relative peace and happiness once we have learned, as a species, to use our brains more efficiently, transcending 'Belief Systems' which condition us to interpret our experience in only one of a million possible ways.

But I Digressed........

To get to your question, by adding and subtracting variables, truth can sometimes be labeled 'fluid' or 'dynamic'......But when you are doing this, it is just your version of truth, and not the whole version because we can't perceive the whole truth living in a 3-D World.This is why 'reality' is weird..The more you learn, the less you realize you know.

I still have this book..You brought back some memories...
I was never the same after reading it....You can download it for free on the Internet....

I Hope This Helps....

Answer 2

If one needs to believe in something they will tend to invent what they call proof. Usually this proof is based in the belief, thus whatever is offered up for proof has as its foundation nothing but loose sand. That is, something is true based on some leap of faith that must be made.

To do good science belief in anything, including the science being done, must first be eliminated. The reason for that is that if an observation does not fit the belief, either the observation must be twisted to suit, or the faith must be questioned.

Religions are like this. One argument I was involved in recently was about whether there is a God. My response was, "I don't know, but I would say that there is very little to no substantive evidence that indicates there is."

The answer to that was, "There is plenty of proof. It's right here in the scriptures."

What do you do with something like that? Okay, so I went on to suggest that there is nothing solid I can sink my teeth into that would indicate that the scriptures are true.

The retort was something to the effect that because this book the fellow was thumping was written by God makes it true.

Circular with feet firmly planted in the quicksand of belief.

To answer the question more directly, yes. And, more to the point, no amount of logic will sway them from their course.

J.

http://www.jrichardjacobs.net

"The speed of the brain is inversely proportional to the speed of the mouth squared."

Answer 3

Yes! The most common way that I've witnessed is when people use anecdotal evidence and not scientific/statistical evidence. People often tell endless stories about something that happened to a friend or a friend-of-a-friend which supports some belief even though there is 'real' evidence pointing against it.

Self-fulfilling prophesy is another method. Then you have some expectations which you (often unconsciously) aim to support. Possibly you'll create the expected outcome but it may not have been based on facts. An example is when teachers expect certain students to be smarter than the others. The teacher might give them more attention and more positive feedback and therefore "create" a smarter student and therefore 'fulfill' their expectations all though they might have been wrong in the beginning.

Interesting question :)

Answer 4

Sure! Just ask Anslem.
Conclusions can be logically valid without being "true" - this is so if the conclusion follows logically from the premises but you can't assert that at least one of the premises is true. So, in the case of someone who really believes something trying to find a way to prove it -- he will probably have some premise that should be inspected more carefully since it is most likely an assertion based on his belief.
But then of course this brings up that whole "knowledge = Justified, True Belief" thing.

Answer 5

Sure they do.

What ever your "cause" is you will find proof that supports your side of the argument. You will ignore any evidnce that does not support your argument.

You see it all the time in politics. When they are trying to pass bills or change laws, or take away freedoms.

There is no end to the studies on any cause but let's just say second hand smoke. Some say it's worse that smoking, some say it doesnt hurt you at all, others say it's bad for you only in theses circumstances people pick and choose which ones you listen too.

Answer 6

It really depends on the person. You have to look at the persons background. If they sense someone in there family is a preditor because they were raped by there own father, then yes they will find a way to prove it because they know what they are looking for.

Answer 7

Not exactly,

When you want to believe something, you pay attention to anything that indicates it might be true, and ignore anything implying the reverse. Reason is fluid, not truth.

Here's a fun quote:

"Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons. "

Answer 8

. The proof has been established once the dream has been dreamed . The constant factor is that there will be dreams and proof even if no one else agrees, theres one person who does, you. Till you decide differently fulfillment is when you decide all has been done to make the dream a reality and satisfaction has been achieved in accordance to the dreamer, and no one else.

Answer 9

It's true that they can prove, or justify something to themselfs. Most everyone did it as a kid, but with age, people become more rational.

Answer 10

.Interesting theory. Why the NEED for proving anything if you have satisfied your reasoning? I have no NEED that is not satisfied. Knowledge requires understanding; proof is only required by nonbelievers.