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    View Poll Results: Why do people desire simple explanations?

    Voters
    20. You may not vote on this poll
    • Stupidity

      4 20.00%
    • Laziness

      2 10.00%
    • Human Nature

      10 50.00%
    • The flying polkadot zebra tells them to

      1 5.00%
    • Other

      3 15.00%
    Results 1 to 14 of 14
    1. #1
      Member bradybaker's Avatar
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      Why Do People Desire Simple Explanations?

      Love and attraction are complicated physical processes.

      The vast majority of people however tend to ignore the physiological side of the process and explain it away with the concepts of "soulmates", "astrology", and all that junk. Obviously these are much more simple and easy explanations to understand.

      The universe is a pretty big, mysterious place. We've figured out a bunch of laws to explain how it works, and there is substantial evidence that one day these laws could help us understand exactly how everything works. These laws are complicated and difficult to understand.

      The vast majority of people ignore the physical truths and explain the unknown away with divine creators and fairy tales.

      Consciousness is the very complex intersection of different pattern analysis organs in the brain.

      The vast majority of people explain the complexity away by describing consciousness as some sort of "otherworldly essence" or "soul".

      My question to everyone is: Why do you people strive to find (and fight to protect) these obviously flawed, simple explanations? Is the will to learn and discover dead? Are people too lazy?

      Everyday I dream of world where people will wake up and start applying some critical thinking to the world around them.

      "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one."
      "This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time."



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    2. #2
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      Assuming you voted for stupidity, I can combine my vote and yours into an even better explanation:

      Humans are stupid.

      Now permanently residing at [The] Danny Phantom Online [Community], under the name Mabaroshiwoou.

      Adopted OvErEchO, ndpendentlyhappy
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    3. #3
      Member Hate's Avatar
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      It's because human beings are stupid and lazy by nature because the flying polkadot zebra tells them to be

      Talking seriously, I think most people just don't have the patience to stop and think about things. But again, it's about the human nature. It's that we want everything immediately now. That's why people don't want to bother themselves with such complicated problems and therefore people prefer the simplier explanations.

      ^ Just one more simple explanation
      Don't think about those damn kangaroos.

    4. #4
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      Re: Why Do People Desire Simple Explanations?

      Because some illusions are not what they seem to be. Hope, is an illusion aswell. After all, its not something thats 'there' its all up our heads, its positive thinking and not giving up, remaining strong. Hope its an illusion, which regardlessly grants strength and more happy people and therefor...is it really an illusion? (its effect is most obviously there, and is not an illusion)

      Now lets just say the entire idea of soulmates was not real as some people like to think it is. There is no actual spiritual connection and nothing whatsoever was meant to be. Or will ever meant to be, not everybody has one either. Lets say its like the way you put it. What if it was all an 'illusion' we humans set up. But what if this illusion resulted in hope (another illusion that results in more concrete effects) or what if it made people happier, what if it made them treat others in a better way, what if this entire idea made life better for some many people. Then whats the use of saying its not real, what use is the 'truth' (if you may even call it that way) besides the utter fact of knowing the 'truth'. You will die and cease to exist and lived a less happy, hopful life than others that believed other wise. Subconisiously some humans will prefer a happy illusion that becomes reality and then cease to exist over a less happy life and then do the same. You get my point I suppose, its human nature to prefer illusion or reality. Because reality is overrated. And illusion is underestimated.

      (somethings cannot be meassured yet they are very real, one might call them illusions but they really are not..so even if they entire concept of soul mates was not real..it is? sounds strange perhaps)

      Now, I am not saying this is what I believe, but this is just a reasoning one might make. (it is partly what I believe, as I believe in things coming from within oneself's heart/mind/soul. they are not really there..yet they are, such as hope, and happiness. Perhaps invoked by others, but coming from within and becoming reality)

      Originally posted by bradybaker

      Everyday I dream of world where people will wake up and start applying some critical thinking to the world around them.
      \"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one.\"
      ^
      (hey is that hope? )

      Everday I dream of a world where people will wake up and start filling themselves with more love and compassion. Where people will love all as their equal and have kindness and a smile for all. Where peace on a universal level is dominant and where all respect and accept eachother differences in culture, religion or anything else. Where love is god and god not love, where it does not matter what you believe on a higher level. The sun shines for all.

      You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope someday this will become truth, and the world will live as one.

      You and I, and everybody else, full of dreams and wishes. They give us strength, no? They give us something to dream about, and we truly believe they will happen one day.
      "You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."
      ~Buddha

    5. #5
      Member Kaniaz's Avatar
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      I figure it's so romantic to have explainations that are simple like "She was pretty and nice", instead of "A complicated mix of chemicals in my brain urged me to bang her and make her bear my children", so they live in that little fantasy.

    6. #6
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      "The simplest explanation is usually the best."

      Ockam's razor. Although usually used in Science, perhaps people are attracted to it when confronted with the complex set of explanations offered by scientists, and choose the simpler explanation.
      "Ah, but therin lies the paradox." - Joseph_Stalin

    7. #7
      Member Yume's Avatar
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      To add to Lucius' wonderful explanation people by far like to have everything done for them. The more concepts they must take the time to think about the uneasier and stressed they get. They just want an easy way out. People have the capacity to be smart, but they choose to not use it because it takes time and energy. Everyone asks me why it is so hard to think of new ideas and why people don't make an easier life for themselves and everyone else. I just say life isn't served on a gold platter and that analogy makes them think harder if they care to think on it at all. People want to be happy. They would rather be mindless slobs feeling pleasure and having everything done for them. They don't want the truth, but a small illusion that makes everything seem perfect and they don't have to deal with anything.

      I too wish for this world of love and compassion. It is the illusions and discrimination that creates problems in this world. If people admitted to the truth then the world would be a better place. My post in the "agreeing with Stalin's revolution thread" by Lutch is trying to achieve that world where people would be compassionate and share their resources while still being able to work for as much as they deserve. The only that I have perceived that would change the world is to either kill all evil people or purify people's souls and gain world peace which both I doubt will happen in my lifetime. I really just want a better world for the people coming into life to enjoy.
      Cared for by: Clairity

      So many variables, so little knowledge.


    8. #8
      Dreamah in ReHaB AirRick101's Avatar
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      Ultimately, simplicity is be a necessity for order. For every concept that compounds a complex idea, it pulls in one more direction. How would we be able to see how complex our "soul" can be, anyway?

      but I understand your attempt to intellectualize it. You're just curious.
      naturals are what we call people who did all the right things accidentally

    9. #9
      Member bradybaker's Avatar
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      This thread makes me laugh.
      "This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time."



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    10. #10
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      Thats good, laughing is important in life. Hey, lookie at least all us theists still have one purpose for you, we can make you laugh =P Im glad
      "You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection."
      ~Buddha

    11. #11
      Life is what I make it will.i.am's Avatar
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      its human nature to give and recieve information faster and faster. think about it, if over many years a type of animal can teach its young to live on its own in a very short amount of time, it would have a distinct advantage over compition and thus a more likely chance for survival and reproducing. Some animals have developed ways to use "tools" to aid them in their everyday life. Chimps for example use twigs to fish out ants from dead logs or dirt piles. the need to be better, faster, stronger and smarter will always be the fundimental driving force. BUT then you need to take in the roll or society and its impact on us. But i was talking more about mankind as a whole.

    12. #12
      Bio-Turing Machine O'nus's Avatar
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      *Notes contradictory humour in the subject title*

    13. #13
      Member ElijahJones's Avatar
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      Contrary to the survey most of these posts I found to be very thoughtful. And in fact if an illusion creates anything in people like cooperation and love then it is an illusion I am willing to accept for now. Not for myself, but if someone is hurting no one by what they do, more power to them.

      There is a limit to human knowledge and there is also a statistical distribution that describes human IQ in every area, intellectual, emotional, social etc. Most human beings have an IQ around 100. This is about the intelligence of your average janitor (please no janitor hate mail!). The complexity of problems that a person of IQ 100 can solve is not very high. Say maybe three hierarchical layers and about 11 distinct objects.

      When we talk about a simple gas at room temperature there could be way over 10^26 objects interacting in that little jar and somehow we have to see how to absract this whole mess into a formula that predicts macro observables from quantum states. No Brady, if you are capable of understanding what modern physics is saying you will find very few humans in general who can hold your interest in a conversation.

      Does this mean we should euthanize everyone who is not two standard deviations above the mean? Not in my opinion, some of the best human beings I have ever known have had IQs less that 100. Intellect is only one more tool, but there is more to say for a person then whether they can derive PDE's. I would say that people with IQ within a certain range seem to struggle more with social issues than either those who are more or less intelligent. Its sort of like being smart enough to know that something is'nt right and have a conscience about it but not smart enough to fix it.

      Regards,

      EJ

    14. #14
      Life is what I make it will.i.am's Avatar
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      *Standing ovation* Well said

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