Our Factory of Reasons

About our  Factory of Reasons

or

Facts do not change viewpoints

  With hand on heart, how many times have fact-based rational arguments made you change your mind in a major political or economic issue? Probably it has not happened very often, especially since you grew up. Our opinions are based largely on instinctive, emotional reactions. We construct our arguments (our reasons) in retrospect, to make our opinions seem informed and evidence-based (by our well-organized "Reason Factory"). Our worldview is given by heritage and upbringing in a much greater extent than we want to admit.
 Most of us can easily observe that factories of reasons exists. Our experience clearly tells us that each person has their own reason factory in his/her own mind. The desire to explain where our unpleasant opinions (as well as any other opinion) come from, can easily be perceived as a defense for those views. Consequently, some people get upset about explaining - or defending - that the terrorists who carried out the terrorist attacks against the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were shot dead. Which opinion that is unpleasant, however, depends entirely on who (whose reason factory) is asked to explain.
  For all those who believe in the idea of a rational conversation, where factual arguments against each other and the erroneous arguments are revealed, it's disappointing to consider that facts rarely get anyone to change his/her mind. At the same time, it becomes easier to understand and live with much of what occurs in the public debate, where participants challenge the opinions of others much more often than they are challenging their own.
  Another fact that is easy to observe is that in the field of economics and social sciencies individuals react instinctively in matters concerning capitalism and entrepreneurship. For some it is the system that frees people's creative power and increases prosperity. For others it is a system that creates inequalities where capitalists prosper on the work of others. Both sides can refer to facts - but the advocates of capitalism and entrepreneurs and critics often appear completely unable to understand each other - i.e. unable to understand the reasons given by others. In the political debate, the situation is even worse. It is legitimate to ask whether it is at all possible for opponents with opposing viewpoints to learn from and enrich each other.
  To arrive at a positive answer to that question we have to demand of all debaters that they contemplate their own behavior. Social media's enthusiastic cheering heels, which indiscriminately disseminates the argument for opinions they already have, is not likely to cause many to change their minds. However, we can all contribute to a better climate of debate by showing greater understanding of the fact that wise people can arrive at completely different conclusions.
  Your political opponents may seem stupid, unable to read from AND painfully unaware of what scientists have to say on a particular issue. Instead of disappointingly giving up at this, consider that it is most likely that your opponents are thinking the exact same thing about you.
  To remedy the reasonfactory's rampaging and blocking of rational thinking is no easy task. In our association of philosophers of life, we have methods (live meditation using the socratic method see: www.duga.se  ) to reduce the reasonfactory's POWER to dominance over our thoughts and feelings. But a lot of patience is required and it is not everyone who can face up to challenge themselves adequately. But if you have the courage to question your reasons factory and the fact that you have a reason factory, huge rewards awaits in terms of quality of life.

  Todde January 2015

 Why not also check:

http://axiom1b.blogspot.com/2015/03/from-socrates-1-curse-of-person-who.html

Check how to diminish the influence of "the reason factory" by using "The Modern Socratic Method" (dialectics) at:

https://www.duga.se/ - use google translate