Great question, one I share with you. My answer was to write a book parents could read to their children, A Song of Humanity: A Science-based Alternative to the World’s Scriptures pen name Only One Man, a book that includes the origins of the universe and mankind as we understand from science not the mountains of mythological rubbish that the world’s religions continue to publish and perpetuate. I also include in the Book of Families, stories from all around the world, not just the regional perspectives of the classic scriptures. Quora doesn’t like internet links, but you can find it by searching on my name. www.nadobimakoba.com and www.a-song-of-humanity.com.
The other thing is to gently but clearly inviting people to re-assess their Values, Assumptions, Beliefs and Expectations about the way the world is or should be (VABEs for short—there’s a Book of VABEs in ASOH as well). Research (Kahneman, Tversky, etc.) shows that people make decisions on their VABEs over science, data, and evidence. In my book, Level Three Leadeership, I show Level One behavior (what you can capture on film what people say and do), Level Two behavior (conscious thought which we may or may not reveal at Level One) and Level Three behavior (semi-conscious VABEs), their related influence techniques, and how in the end, “it all comes down to VABEs.” Unless one can work at Level Three, not much is going to change.
We can discuss how attempts to influence at all three levels might influence people at the other two levels. Military and cults focus on Level One believing that if we can control people’s behavior that will change their thoughts and beliefs. Universities work at Level Two believing that if we can show evidence, that will change people’s visible behavior and beliefs. Non-profit organizations like religions and political parties work at Level Three believing that if you can change people’s beliefs that will change how they think and what they do.
As at least one other person has said, some people are not curious about the world. Children who are treated in a certain depressing way may grow up without any interest in the world around them. They will spend their lives perpetuating what they were taught as defenseless children—perhaps violently. Most people operate from deductive reasoning, taking a conclusion and forcing the data to fit it. Fewer people operate from inductive logic, looking at raw data and drawing conclusions from them. Consider the zealot who says, “I don’t know how that data can be so, and since I’m convinced god lives and looks like this, the data must be wrong or misunderstood—and I don’t care, the net result is that god lives!”
We as a species have learned SO much collectively in the last 200 years it’s a shame that the uninformed conclusions from 2,000+ years ago should still dominate the majority of our thinking and behavior. Again, it all comes down to VABEs.
So, I, when it’s appropriate and likely to create a reasonable conversation, I will often ask the following questions. They are sure to stimulate dinner table conversation. They are VABE-clarifying or VABE-abrading questions designed to help people clarify their own VABEs and to think about what they believe—at Level Three. They involve questions not declarations, no dogmatic conclusions, just questions—that stimulate a desire perhaps to learn or think more AND IF you can listen without getting argumentative, a fascinating conversation:
Again, good for you and your question. Never never never give up.
The other thing is to gently but clearly inviting people to re-assess their Values, Assumptions, Beliefs and Expectations about the way the world is or should be (VABEs for short—there’s a Book of VABEs in ASOH as well). Research (Kahneman, Tversky, etc.) shows that people make decisions on their VABEs over science, data, and evidence. In my book, Level Three Leadeership, I show Level One behavior (what you can capture on film what people say and do), Level Two behavior (conscious thought which we may or may not reveal at Level One) and Level Three behavior (semi-conscious VABEs), their related influence techniques, and how in the end, “it all comes down to VABEs.” Unless one can work at Level Three, not much is going to change.
We can discuss how attempts to influence at all three levels might influence people at the other two levels. Military and cults focus on Level One believing that if we can control people’s behavior that will change their thoughts and beliefs. Universities work at Level Two believing that if we can show evidence, that will change people’s visible behavior and beliefs. Non-profit organizations like religions and political parties work at Level Three believing that if you can change people’s beliefs that will change how they think and what they do.
As at least one other person has said, some people are not curious about the world. Children who are treated in a certain depressing way may grow up without any interest in the world around them. They will spend their lives perpetuating what they were taught as defenseless children—perhaps violently. Most people operate from deductive reasoning, taking a conclusion and forcing the data to fit it. Fewer people operate from inductive logic, looking at raw data and drawing conclusions from them. Consider the zealot who says, “I don’t know how that data can be so, and since I’m convinced god lives and looks like this, the data must be wrong or misunderstood—and I don’t care, the net result is that god lives!”
We as a species have learned SO much collectively in the last 200 years it’s a shame that the uninformed conclusions from 2,000+ years ago should still dominate the majority of our thinking and behavior. Again, it all comes down to VABEs.
So, I, when it’s appropriate and likely to create a reasonable conversation, I will often ask the following questions. They are sure to stimulate dinner table conversation. They are VABE-clarifying or VABE-abrading questions designed to help people clarify their own VABEs and to think about what they believe—at Level Three. They involve questions not declarations, no dogmatic conclusions, just questions—that stimulate a desire perhaps to learn or think more AND IF you can listen without getting argumentative, a fascinating conversation:
- Do you believe in god? Would you please describe the god you believe in? Is this god sentient? Caring? Have feelings for humans? Is god all-powerful, loving, kind? Etc. It’s amazing how many people can answer the first question, but not the second. Then what about spinal bifida and other birth defects? Why would an all-powerful, loving god allow these things?
- How do you think we should care for the homeless people of the world? One man said put them on the hillside with the predators. !!! Why do we have so many homeless people? Most will say they are lazy. It’s all about VABEs.
- How does freedom from government intervention match up with freedoms to abuse the air, water, soil, and other people? Do you trust others without oversight or regulation to treat the commons (the part of society we all share like air, water, soil, etc.) with concern for the impact on others?
- What are the most important issues to you in the world today? One man said, a new truck and a garage full of beer. Another simply said, Capitalism vs Socialism. Again, it’s all about VABEs.
- What percentage of humans are born with schizophrenia? Most will say something like one in ten thousand. It’s one in a hundred, 1%. How should we deal with the insane? (Hillside again?)
- What percentage of humans are born with gender variations from hetero-sexuality? Answer: worldwide about 10%+ ever since we’ve had any written data. Hermaphrodites, homo-sexuality, bi-sexuality, etc. It’s a natural phenomenon that we can ignore (deductively) or acknowledge and accept (inductively).
- Where do fossils come from? Where do homo-Erectus and other hominid fossils comes from?
- Why is wool different from cotton or steel from iron or wood from leaves?
- Why do people behave the way they do? What’s your “model” of human behavior? (See book by that title, also the Book of Self in ASOH, and the 20 pages of references in ASOH.)
Again, good for you and your question. Never never never give up.
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