Belief Colourblindness
You probably know the scene from The Matrix in which Morpheus offers Neo a choice between the red pill or the blue pill. This was symbolic of the choice between knowledge and ignorance, between truth and willful self-deception. As we know, Neo took the red pill, then set off on a difficult, yet action packed journey of discovery.
Most of us would probably say we’d take the red pill too, but as Cypher showed, the choice wouldn’t be so easy, and may be regretted:
“I know what you’re thinking, ’cause right now I’m thinking the same thing. Actually, I’ve been thinking it ever since I got here: Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill?”
Like Neo we all have the choice between trying to understand how our world truly works, pushing on despite any obstacles in our path, or choosing to remain comfortably ignorant, if perhaps unsatisfied. I’ll leave the Matrix analogy there, there’s more than enough analysis of that movie and the concepts it (re)presents.
What I’d like to discuss is not the choice itself, but the context within which we make the choice, or more specifically, how the choice can mislead us. So to that end I’ll assume the choice is made, for knowledge over ignorance.
A question that we need to ask ourselves is, what kind of knowledge are we looking for? Are we looking for knowledge that reflects the reality of this universe, even if it’s painful? Do we believe we’ll find the truth in powerful personal experiences, even if someone else has a contradictory experience?
Many ideas of how the universe works are highly appealing. They make us feel as if everything is fine, no matter what happens, such as the belief in an immortal spirit. That’s a very powerful suggestion, that we ultimately can’t be harmed, that we truly have nothing to fear. Others suggest that our abilities are limitless, as long as we believe they are, that the power of thought is paramount. Another unarguably empowering suggestion.
But beware of placing too much faith in such extreme beliefs, because if they don’t align with reality, discovering how could be a terminal experience. There are extremes in any form of beliefs, which are most dangerous when the believer feels they are the only relevant beliefs. Even if the believer acknowledges that they are extreme beliefs, if they also denounce all counter beliefs then suffering will be the result.
Last year by Robin Hogarth reviewed a number of cases of scientists refusing to consider evidence which contradicted their own strongly held beliefs. This has happened throughout history, as described in detail by Thomas Khun in 1962, and as noted by Max Planck:
A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.
But if scientists, for whom the careful, unbiased consideration of all evidence is supposedly a requirement, if they can be so biased in their beliefs, what about the rest of us? As Eliezer Yudkowsky’s review paper shows, it’s not only scientists who are subject to cognitive bias; it affects all of us.
As an example, try this exercise, then read page 6 of Yudkowsky’s paper to see how your answer compared to the university students who took part in a study in which this exercise was used:
Consider a regular six-sided die with four green faces and two red faces. The die will be rolled 20 times and the sequence of greens (G) and reds (R) will be recorded. You are asked to select one sequence, from a set of three, and you will win $25 if the sequence you chose appears on successive rolls of the die. Please check the sequence of greens and reds on which you prefer to bet.
1. RGRRR
2. GRGRRR
3. GRRRRR
Did you pick number 2? Don’t be ashamed if you did; so did I. If you didn’t, congratulations, but don’t rejoice before checking all the other types of bias you might unknowingly employ. And if you continued to read this before trying the example yourself, then picked the correct answer, you’ve just demonstrated another form of cognitive bias. Do you know which?
If some people can maintain a belief in the face of clear, contradictory evidence, it’s no surprise that we can all be so sure some of our beliefs are valid. Especially when we have a strong emotional attachment to those beliefs, and no one else can truly confirm nor deny them. After all we can’t measure our experiences with a ruler, nor plot them on a graph, nor calculate their confidence intervals. The only person who can analyse a personal experience, is the person doing the experiencing. And as those two papers show, that will lead to bias.
So consider your own beliefs. Did you take the red pill, or was it really the blue pill in disguise?
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July 10th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Mark, the site looks lovely!
“A question that we need to ask ourselves is, what kind of knowledge are we looking for? Are we looking for knowledge that reflects the reality of this universe, even if it’s painful? Do we believe we’ll find the truth in powerful personal experiences, even if someone else has a contradictory experience?”
That resonates with me right now for some reason. We can only have and know our own experience, so at the moment I’m at the point of exploring my own responses to “my” experiences, and accepting others responses to theirs, with detachment. Every “a-ha” moment leads to its opposite doubt, I find. But that is OK - I don’t hold any conviction so strongly these days!
July 10th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Hi Claire, good to hear from you!
I’m glad that you’re more flexible these days, and I’m sure you still have some positive, beneficial convictions that you do hold onto!
July 11th, 2007 at 2:55 am
Good article… and you didn’t even get down to the point of talking about beliefs that are so subconscious that you don’t even realize you have them until something forces them into your awareness.
July 11th, 2007 at 6:53 am
That’s true, though the focus of this entry was greater awareness of the belief we think we chose, consciously. Conscious beliefs can be another piece
July 11th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Before anything else, I thought I’d remark about your uplifting image in Manchu Pichu. This is a place shrouded in mysteries. Personally, I sense my soul has been there before.
Your commentary makes many thought-provoking points. I like the idea that you prompt readers to question, “what kind of knowledge are we seeking?” If we knew that though, then why would we exert any effort at all? I reflect on particular physical fitness challenges which you might see as life tests. On the surface, you may think you’re stretching endurance, resilience, stamina or some physical abilities. Yet, if time passes and you deal with those tests, sense you pass them, but still feel unable to move on, then does that mean you misconstrued the true test? Was your perception deceiving you? How could you ever know in this lifetime? [Stories of near-death-experience (NDE) survivors describe life reviews which enable them to seee whether a mission was understood and acomplished]
In another example, consider you encounter an individual who appears to make your life very difficult. You may decide this is also a test. Rather than run from this problem, you may chose to face it in an effort to pass the test. You may decide you will use the opportunity to develop qualities such as resourcefulness, patience, inner strength, ingenuity, and see your own success in another sphere as being the best course of action. Yet, if this individual refuses to disappear and continues to make attempts to shake your focus, then could this mean you misconstrued the test? Are you more impatient than you initially realized? Obviously its another blessing in disguise and your perception simply needs to be stretched, right?
July 11th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Thanks for your comment Liara
I’m very much looking forward to seeing it in person soon, perhaps next year
For me it’s for the sake of that knowledge, and the benefit it provides, and the perception of reality it bestows. Knowing the answer doesn’t change that
I suspect that both the defeated physical challenge, and the continuing interpersonal challenge, are examples of the impermanent nature of reality. Perhaps if you thought that all would be fine once you completed each test as you expected to at the start, then yes, you misconstrued the test. Well, not the components of the tests, but the nature of the tests.
I think I agree with you about inaccurate perception. To me both seem to be tests concerned with dealing with change, either the lack of influence significant physical change may have on mental growth (i.e., you might feel low self-esteem and think that you need to improve physically, but that doesn’t end up improving your self-esteem), or the lack of influence significant internal change may have on external situations (i.e., some people enjoy harassing others and your attempts to make one stop harassing you might require more decisive action).
July 11th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
When you do reach the summit of Manchu Pichu, it will be intriguing for you to re-examine your sense of spiritual completeness.
In terms of the “hypothetical tests” I described, I recognize that we always have choices. People can choose to see blessings in impermanance or, chose to be frustrated by what it represents in terms of a lack of control. Life phases could all be seen as offering opportunities to deal with change. I don’t know if I agree with your view that significant internal growth isn’t going to impact external situations. I actually believe that how you think determines what you experience. It’s just that everyone doesn’t know themselves well enough to know what they really want deep inside. The conscious and subconscious may not be aligned.
If you aim to improve your confidence and esteem, you may train for a marathon. If you don’t follow through with the training plan and don’t reach that goal, you can still potentially choose another pursuit where you can develop your confidence and esteem.
The same can be said in an analogy with an apparently difficult person. If you sense someone is out to make your life difficult, let’s say a boss, it may be in your mind. You can say it doesn’t bother you, and accept exploitation at least to the point where mistreatment causes you to change your mind. You may seek another job, to get away from this boss, yet constraints may exist. The boss may still exert control over you if you need a recommendation from him. I’ve known people to slander and sabotage staff efforts to leave. If you aim to put these sorts of things out of your mind, and this former boss still makes your life hard, you can leave the city or country or, find a way to tap into your subconscious to figure out how you could be attracting such treatment.
We all justify certain things at certain periods of our lives. To look back years later, we may wonder why we allowed ourselves to be intimidated or controlled, and why we felt so vulnerable. Any kind of perceived mistreatment often causes people to ask themselves what they may have done to deserve it or people who see themselves as victims may seek how they can lay blame. To me, relationships are perceived as smooth or difficult. Each is another opportunity to reflect on why we accept certain kinds of behavior, how we can evolve to rethink boundaries, limits, expectations, personalities and emotions.
For example, I reflect on a past work experience in a foreign country. At the time, I was so thrilled to convince someone to create a position for me, that I accepted mistreatment. I wasn’t eligible for a regular contract, and felt my conditions were better than nothing. When, after a period, I wasn’t paid based on an understanding, I was asked to leave, and to never to come back. It was a difficult time, but I rose above it. I learned survival skills, discovered self-respect and found better opportunities. Turned out my boss in the original scenario had serious psychiatric problems. She apparently said some terrible things about me, but she wasn’t “all there.” I had also been rather naive about my own expectations. I evolved not to blame her emotional moodiness and commital for my choices. The situation reminded me we can never predict everything. How we learn, react and send forgiveness matters.
Before and after the former situation, I have worked abroad where bosses did what they said they would do and didn’t do what they said what they were going to do. I’ve learned you can’t always trust people, but this isn’t reason not to trust anyone. People have their own issues, many of which you know little or nothing about. You live and learn to sharpen your perception and intuition.
July 12th, 2007 at 11:47 am
I agree, I was referring to one potential case where someone else’s issues are not overcome by another’s personal growth. But in most cases personal growth would result in understanding that who you thought was annoying is not really all that bad. But as you pointed out in the analogy of the difficult boss, sometimes external change must follow that internal growth.
It sounds as if you’ve learnt a lot from your experiences. I look forward to hearing more of them, and of what you’ve learnt.