The Science of Why We Don't Believe Science.

https://medium.com/editors-picks/adfa0d026a7e

Very interesting read, I highly recommend it. I understand discussion on the Flat Earth hypothesis is best left for other sections of the forum, but I couldn't help thinking of this society in the back of my mind whilst I was reading.

Recognising and understanding the ways in which your own mind can try to fool you is the first step in the endeavour for truth. Confirmation bias, motivated reasoning and logical fallacies seem to be the core of many belief systems and even top scientists and researchers aren't immune from this.

Critical thinking isn't an innate behaviour, it has to be learnt.

Red team it.

How am I supposed to believe in the science of why we don't believe in science if I don't believe in science to the point that this science is just as readily lost to me as other sciences?

How am I supposed to believe in the science of why we don't believe in science if I don't believe in science to the point that this science is just as readily lost to me as other sciences?

It's not for the benefit of people who don't believe in science.

sighince is srs bsns

this article is basically saying that people support science that supports what they believe in. how profound.

this article is basically saying that people support science that supports what they believe in. how profound.

It's also saying that people refuse to believe facts when they contradict what they believe in.

This is also an issue in education. Derek, from Veritasium, has a lot to say about this. If you counter someone's preconceptions with a surprising reality without directly confronting the preconception, they will not lose their preconceptions but will rather become more certain of them, even if they contradict what they have learned. We just are really bad at being wrong. Or perhaps good at it.

We have phenomenal defense mechanisms to protect our psyche and self esteem.  Being wrong about something deeply engrained damages both.