| Abstract [eng] |
“We have no evidence of some of our most important beliefs except that the people we love and trust share those beliefs. Given how little we know, trusting one’s beliefs is absurd - and it is also necessary.“ Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. Beliefs are a slippery concept. Who are they really? Philosophy has long sought to define them. In this post-truth and ideologically polarized world, we need a better understanding of beliefs. Let’s examine a useful evolutionary framework that allows a more consistent understanding of what beliefs really are and why misconceptions can sometimes be so difficult to change. We will then talk about how to better understand reality and how to ultimately improve society. It is likely that the processes in the brain involved in the formation of abstract beliefs evolved from simpler processes related to the interpretation of sensory perception. Because we experience the outside world solely by the senses, it is difficult for us to accept that these perceptions are sometimes subjectively distorted and are not necessarily reliable experiences of objective reality. People tend to trust their physical senses and believe in their perception even when they are suffering from hallucinations and no matter how strange the distortions in their perception may be. People will put explanations above their perception of reality in order to eliminate contradictions. We rely too much on our subjective experiences as well as our beliefs. We will more easily explain evidence that contradicts our belief by expanding and refining that belief with additional layers of distorted explanation, rather than abandoning it or fundamentally rearranging it. |
