What are identities about if not beliefs? Values, goals, utility, etc.
When your beliefs are central to your identity, it is way more difficult to change your mind if they turn out to be wrong.
Arguably, what you value may never changed and so you may never change your mind about it. Only means of achieving your ends.
If you merely disagreed with the person making that argument instead of also identifying with your belief, you wouldn’t feel attacked.
How would you feel if this website was flooded with spam? A massive influx of ‘flat earth’-ers?
Julia Galef observes two ways in which beliefs become identities: when the belief causes the person to feel embattled or proud.
Another way you might believe something, if it seems to work, towards achieving your ends.
An obvious example is
groups that hold beliefs in line with scientific consensus, yet are unpopular.
In her book, Galef proposes a solution to the problem of identity interfering with truth-seeking. She suggests, in her words, to “hold your identity lightly.”
And we’re back to ‘what is identity?’ If anything, going after what you value...seems a driver for (related) truth seeking. If you don’t want to die, knowledge about covid19 and the vaccine are probably important to you, while you might be entirely indifferent to dinosaurs, their existence, or information about them as long as you know:
a) they don’t still exist and thus:
b) aren’t a threat.
This is just equivocating between ‘belief turned identity’ and ‘identity’.
or things that make you superior to other people.
“Look at us, the truth seekers. Better than everybody else because we’re right.”
Julia Galef makes a final suggestion: hold a scout identity.
There’s no way that could backfire.
And here it is! Acknowledgement that identity isn’t just belief.
Even if the practical rewards for studying math usually appear in the long term, your identity means you find the short-term actions more rewarding.
Or just find:
What you want that can be achieved that way, or how to use it to improve/advance toward your goals
The parts you enjoy studying? If you don’t enjoy studying some subset of math, then maybe...don’t? The issue also might be the way you’re studying. And if what you want doesn’t exist, you might have to make it yourself.
What are identities about if not beliefs? Values, goals, utility, etc.
Arguably, what you value may never changed and so you may never change your mind about it. Only means of achieving your ends.
How would you feel if this website was flooded with spam? A massive influx of ‘flat earth’-ers?
Another way you might believe something, if it seems to work, towards achieving your ends.
groups that hold beliefs in line with scientific consensus, yet are unpopular.
And we’re back to ‘what is identity?’ If anything, going after what you value...seems a driver for (related) truth seeking. If you don’t want to die, knowledge about covid19 and the vaccine are probably important to you, while you might be entirely indifferent to dinosaurs, their existence, or information about them as long as you know:
a) they don’t still exist and thus:
b) aren’t a threat.
This is just equivocating between ‘belief turned identity’ and ‘identity’.
“Look at us, the truth seekers. Better than everybody else because we’re right.”
There’s no way that could backfire.
And here it is! Acknowledgement that identity isn’t just belief.
Or just find:
What you want that can be achieved that way, or how to use it to improve/advance toward your goals
The parts you enjoy studying? If you don’t enjoy studying some subset of math, then maybe...don’t? The issue also might be the way you’re studying. And if what you want doesn’t exist, you might have to make it yourself.