Arelius comments on Positive Thinking - Less Wrong

20 Post author: Swimmer963 07 March 2011 01:03AM

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Comment author: Arelius 23 March 2011 06:31:40PM 0 points [-]

them to really, truly believe without (apparent) cognitive dissonance.

The problem is that you can only be sure about the appearance of such. The cognitive dissonance just needs to be small enough so that it doesn't manifest in outward action.

Comment author: Swimmer963 23 March 2011 07:13:42PM 0 points [-]

Maybe. I've asked them, though, and they don't seem to find it a serious problem. They find ways to get around it...I could quote examples if I remembered the vocabulary better. In fact, a number of people seemed confused when I tried to explain my inability to believe.

Comment author: Arelius 23 March 2011 08:15:20PM 1 point [-]

a number of people seemed confused when I tried to explain my inability to believe.

Maybe this is key to the problem, such that they are able to build such a strong mental block between those two aspects of the brain so that the concept of the conflict of belief is actively rejected.

Comment author: Swimmer963 23 March 2011 08:21:36PM 0 points [-]

A strong mental block. Interesting. Plausible...