Lessons that just don't take

ConradH

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
This is for lessons you've learned, or are still trying to learn. Two tough ones for me are, 1) Other people really don't want the same things I do. That's why their actions are often inexplicable to me. 2) It's nearly impossible to convince anybody of anything using facts and data. We're all emotionally driven.
 
People tend to hold fast to the opinions of their "tribe", political faction, religious belief, etcetera
and will fight tooth and nail to defend those beliefs regardless of lack of logic or reality of fact, according to this article.
http://bigthink.com/risk-reason-and...s-reason-and-makes-risky-times-more-dangerous

I agree with your comment, but did not read the linked article (yet). And the reason for this behavior, I believe, is that precious few truly have the ability to do independent, critical thinking. And there is comfort and security in being part of a group. Not that this is a bad thing. Just nature. There will always be a few at the right end of the bell curve who will have abilities the majority lack.
 
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It's nearly impossible to convince anybody of anything using facts and data. We're all emotionally driven

It seems that way. I love debate, as I think it's a great learning tool. No one can be right all the time, so if you realize that going into a discussion, there is a lot to discover. The big "but" is, like you said, not too many people realize the obvious, that is the chances of either of you being 100% right are very slim. It may be something that has been true for ages but it seems to be more prevalent in this day and age. I could easily go off subject on a long rant about the causes, I'll save that for another day. :rant:
 
^^ OTOH in my life experience(s) spent outside The Academy... oy vey: you point two rings hard.
 
Facts and data are only pertinent until they are proven otherwise.

True, but I'd rather put my trust in the words of people who actually study things with the scientific method than those who just go with their gut instinct. With that said, it's good to be skeptical of any study or report. Of course, there are objective and subjective facts (along with shades of grey), so it really depends on the topic at hand.

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“Virtue is its own reward,” and several variants thereof, is a lesson I’m currently working on with my kids. It took a long time for me to truly get this lesson and is something I still struggle with from time to time.
 
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them."

and the closely related....

"Actions speak louder than words"

65 years old and I still get tripped up by seeing what I want to see in people, and not see them for who they truly are.
 
A very simple lesson I learned years ago........... when people tell you how good they are at something it usually means they're not.
 
You can only trust Methematics and Physics.
Everything else is chaos, more or less.

The older and wiser I get, the more and more I realize I was right at 18 when I declared that most people are childish, stupid or both.

I realized long ago that no one thinks the way I do. Now I’m wondering how so many people live without thinking AT ALL.
 
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