There’s one response that always haunts me when it comes to introducing bias: That’s an interesting description of other people but it doesn’t describe me.
Outside view vs. inside view. From outside, it is obvious that people are imperfect and do a lot of stupid things. Luckily, none of this applies to me! :D
I have a similar experience when I talk with people about cults. First assumption is, only stupid person would join a cult, because joining cult is obviously stupid. (Problem is, it is stupid only from non-member’s point of view.) When I explain them that joining a cult is usually not a conscious well-informed decision, but a long road paved with deception and manipulation, some of them agree that perhaps an intelligent person can join the cult too… but it couldn’t happen to them, because there is no way they could fall prey to manipulation, ever. And so far I found no way to convince them otherwise. From outside, they seem just as vulnerable as anyone; but I guess most people can’t even imagine themselves from outside.
Let’s generalize it: Psychology—an interesting description of other people but it doesn’t describe me.
Psychology—an interesting description of other people but it doesn’t describe me.
This seems to devolve to p-zombie solipsism: other people’s “thoughts” and “intentions” may be merely physical processes in their brains, but I am an authentic soul, the true author of my own thoughts and intentions, which are really real.
Outside view vs. inside view. From outside, it is obvious that people are imperfect and do a lot of stupid things. Luckily, none of this applies to me! :D
I have a similar experience when I talk with people about cults. First assumption is, only stupid person would join a cult, because joining cult is obviously stupid. (Problem is, it is stupid only from non-member’s point of view.) When I explain them that joining a cult is usually not a conscious well-informed decision, but a long road paved with deception and manipulation, some of them agree that perhaps an intelligent person can join the cult too… but it couldn’t happen to them, because there is no way they could fall prey to manipulation, ever. And so far I found no way to convince them otherwise. From outside, they seem just as vulnerable as anyone; but I guess most people can’t even imagine themselves from outside.
Let’s generalize it: Psychology—an interesting description of other people but it doesn’t describe me.
This seems to devolve to p-zombie solipsism: other people’s “thoughts” and “intentions” may be merely physical processes in their brains, but I am an authentic soul, the true author of my own thoughts and intentions, which are really real.