Denying ignorance and the mind's tendency to reinforce it

reply to post by silo13


Great post. It reminded me of some of the things Carl Jung wrote about recurring psychological archetypes as a kind of collective racial or species memory. It's hard for me to imagine what all is encoded into our DNA.

Its about time that someone chose to try to break this issue down to its bare components.

On ATS there seems to be a constant gridlock of ego's butting heads without ever entertaining the idea of alternate possibilities.

Watcher definitely hit this one on the head.

reply to post by EvolvedMinistry


Thank you. I have found it funny the sheer amount of people around here who parade around here imperiously calling anyone who disagrees with them ignorant when for the best I could find they are the ones being ignorant and not in a capacity that they are wantonly being such, they just can't seem to see beyond a certain viewpoint. So I wanted to figure out if there was mechanism in how our minds work that makes this happen so much. Rather than take the easy route that a startling many does and assume they are mentally defective.

[edit on 29-9-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

Originally posted by Watcher-In-The-Shadows
reply to post by EvolvedMinistry

 

Thank you. I have found it funny the sheer amount of people around here who parade around here imperiously calling anyone who disagrees with them ignorant when for the best I could find they are the ones being ignorant and not in a capacity that they are wantonly being such, they just can't seem to see beyond a certain viewpoint. So I wanted to figure out if there was mechanism in how our minds work that makes this happen so much. Rather than take the easy route that a startling many does and assume they are mentally defective.

[edit on 29-9-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

Agreed. It seems that ATS has become a game where people come here to purposefully vent their frustrations on other members without attempting to view information in an objective manner that might illuminate new ideas and open up other dimensions of opportunity.

So, in essence, this funny game of trying to "Own" one another has become the norm as opposed to the idea of engaging and spreading intelligent debate. But, I can say this, I've met some really intelligent and enlightened people on this forum and for that 1% of gold found in the 99% of idiocy, I am grateful. You're definitely in that 1%.

reply to post by EvolvedMinistry


Or pwn as some gamers say... Which is a EMMENSELY silly viewpoint to have when we are talking about debate if you ask me. And thank you. Though sometimes I strongly wonder about myself.


[edit on 18-10-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

Originally posted by John Matrix

Jesus parable of the sower comes to mind. Seeds springing up to bear fruit, seeds springing up then falling over and dying for lack of good soil and water. Seed being a thought or schema, water being the spirit of God, soil being our consciousness, fruit being the fruit of the Spirit. This could be considered a Schemata.....Yes?

I don't know about that matrix but you just gave a sterling example how schema influences our interpretation of ideas to find ways they fit with our own worldview. I would suspect we all do that from time to time in varying degrees. I bet the more precious those ideas are, the more we struggle the the more irrational we are likely to be trying to bend them.

Their is probably layer upon layer of that experience

What this information is pretty much saying is, "Have a belief? Say hello to your bias."

Originally posted by Copernicus

While individuals may have a spoken and even perhaps belief that they seek to "Deny Ignorance" they may in fact work against themselves. As the mind will even subconscious seek to reinforce existing beliefs.

Definitely true. I have only met a handful of people capable of seeing every situation rationally and logically, and Im not one of them. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to shut off emotions and just let the mind work as a computer.


[edit on 20-9-2009 by Copernicus]

Agree.
I would really love to be able to do so.

BTW, from the knowledge I acquired by studying meditation and so on I remembered a thing: an enlightened person is able to judge a situation rationally, because he doesn't have the mind anymore, so he doesn't have the schema thing. Is this true?

reply to post by kache


I would say has less confining schemata. Schemata isn't a bad thing it helps us avoid information overload but it can be when allowed to become obstructing bias.

[edit on 8-3-2010 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]