SoT IIb: open mind, insert belief

Undertoad · 09-27-2007, 08:38 PM

There's a source of error in all of us that was left out of the original post... where we cause our own errors. Let's say we accept a premise as true rather early in life, when we are forming the firmest of the things we accept as true. Fire is hot kinda stuff.

This American Life had a piece one day, a few years back, of David Paladino, a half white half black man who was raised to believe he was white. His mother didn't know what the child would be until he was born; and then, instantly, it became easier to say that she had a line of dark-skinned Italians in her family. The mom, the boy, the entire rest of the family repeated this explanation over and over and over again, despite his obvious physical characteristics, and the fact that he'd be asked about it by every new person who encountered him.

At age 29, he suddenly had this burning feeling that something didn't make sense, and when he confronted his mother, she broke down and told him the truth.

At 29! He lived the first part of his life with an hidden identity that he, himself, didn't know and refused to confront.

And he learned that his mother had put it all away, in the deep recesses of her mind, and hadn't even confronted the question herself until the boy got to high school.

Couldn't possibly be true for you? But it probably is: like the mom for all those years, some of the things that you believe to be true, you have actually shoved deep into your own mind. There may be things that you have convinced yourself of, for your own convenience. It may not be as serious as who your baby's father is. But then, it may be more serious; like the some of most basic concepts that you accept in your heart.

And like the son, there are certainly things that you have HAD shoved deep into your own mind. Maybe unwillingly, like Mr. Paladino; maybe completely willingly, with premises and biases that you helped yourself establish. It may not be as serious as what your race is... or it may strike at the very meaning of life.

Cloud · 09-27-2007, 11:09 PM

did you take the red pill or the blue pill?

we are all the sum of our experiences.

Griff · 09-28-2007, 06:32 AM

Damn interesting points.
<tangent>In my various psych classes over the years they've usually emphasized how people are the same, wanting essentally the same things. I'm slipping on the usual list but I think acceptance and reproduction are mentioned. One could be conditioned by his environment to resist these things but eventually he'd crack. Maybe when we look at the Middle East we are seeing a culture cracking under the stress of denying human nature? One thing driving my reassessment of my relationship to the Church is watching someone close to me raise her kids in an extremely religous conservative manner. My gut tells me those kids are gonna crack up at some point.</tangent>

Anyway, keep the ideas flowing UT you never know what it'll spark.

Griff · 09-28-2007, 07:15 AM

forgot this

xoxoxoBruce · 09-28-2007, 02:35 PM

Quote:

or it may strike at the very meaning of life.

There is a meaning of life? Since no one has been able to discover a verifiable meaning of life, why would we assume there is one?

09-27-2007, 08:38 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	SoT IIb: open mind, insert belief There's a source of error in all of us that was left out of the original post... where we cause our own errors. Let's say we accept a premise as true rather early in life, when we are forming the firmest of the things we accept as true. Fire is hot kinda stuff. This American Life had a piece one day, a few years back, of David Paladino, a half white half black man who was raised to believe he was white. His mother didn't know what the child would be until he was born; and then, instantly, it became easier to say that she had a line of dark-skinned Italians in her family. The mom, the boy, the entire rest of the family repeated this explanation over and over and over again, despite his obvious physical characteristics, and the fact that he'd be asked about it by every new person who encountered him. At age 29, he suddenly had this burning feeling that something didn't make sense, and when he confronted his mother, she broke down and told him the truth. At 29! He lived the first part of his life with an hidden identity that he, himself, didn't know and refused to confront. And he learned that his mother had put it all away, in the deep recesses of her mind, and hadn't even confronted the question herself until the boy got to high school. Couldn't possibly be true for you? But it probably is: like the mom for all those years, some of the things that you believe to be true, you have actually shoved deep into your own mind. There may be things that you have convinced yourself of, for your own convenience. It may not be as serious as who your baby's father is. But then, it may be more serious; like the some of most basic concepts that you accept in your heart. And like the son, there are certainly things that you have HAD shoved deep into your own mind. Maybe unwillingly, like Mr. Paladino; maybe completely willingly, with premises and biases that you helped yourself establish. It may not be as serious as what your race is... or it may strike at the very meaning of life.

09-27-2007, 11:09 PM	#2
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	did you take the red pill or the blue pill? we are all the sum of our experiences. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

09-28-2007, 06:32 AM	#3
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Damn interesting points. <tangent>In my various psych classes over the years they've usually emphasized how people are the same, wanting essentally the same things. I'm slipping on the usual list but I think acceptance and reproduction are mentioned. One could be conditioned by his environment to resist these things but eventually he'd crack. Maybe when we look at the Middle East we are seeing a culture cracking under the stress of denying human nature? One thing driving my reassessment of my relationship to the Church is watching someone close to me raise her kids in an extremely religous conservative manner. My gut tells me those kids are gonna crack up at some point.</tangent> Anyway, keep the ideas flowing UT you never know what it'll spark. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

09-28-2007, 07:15 AM	#4
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	forgot this Attached Images __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

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