Thursday, January 13, 2005
What do you believe but cannot prove?
RANDOLPH NESSE, M.D.
THE WORLD QUESTION CENTER 2005:
"I can't prove it, but I am pretty sure that people gain a selective advantage from believing in things they can't prove. I am dead serious about this. People who are sometimes consumed by false beliefs do better than those who insist on evidence before they believe and act. People who are sometimes swept away by emotions do better in life than those who calculate every move. These advantages have, I believe, shaped mental capacities for intense emotion and passionate beliefs because they give a selective advantage in certain situations."
¶ 1/13/2005 08:34:00 AM
Edge asks some very sharp folks: "WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT PROVE IT?" There are some interesting responses. Here is one from Dr. Randolph Nesse:
RANDOLPH NESSE, M.D.
THE WORLD QUESTION CENTER 2005:
"I can't prove it, but I am pretty sure that people gain a selective advantage from believing in things they can't prove. I am dead serious about this. People who are sometimes consumed by false beliefs do better than those who insist on evidence before they believe and act. People who are sometimes swept away by emotions do better in life than those who calculate every move. These advantages have, I believe, shaped mental capacities for intense emotion and passionate beliefs because they give a selective advantage in certain situations."
¶ 1/13/2005 08:34:00 AM
