Why are most humans extremely gullible?

x_rex30 · Post by **x_rex30** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:00 am

Pwolf wrote:I'm not a religious person, maybe a little spiritual though, but I don't think if someone believes in a higher power that they are "gullible" in that regard. if you believe all religions are wrong, then i think you're quite gullible yourself. There's no concrete evidence either way. I wont even go as far to say anything in the Bible is incorrect, I think it's all accurate in context. Nothing is wrong with religion, the problem is when someone tries to force everyone around them to conform to it or use it as a means to further their own agenda.

In the end, I'm just making fun of certain people that make a conclusion on something that would make them comfortable even if it may be wrong, they wont question the conclusions they make but will judge other who have made their own conclusions to things they don't agree with and preach they are wrong. I'm making fun of those who spew there opinions out as fact. Those who follow a belief they have without out questioning and having the open idea that what they believe could be wrong. I can't stand close minded arrogance. I'm agnostic and when I see something that is obviously still put out there on the table then I wont jump and keep a conclusion because I feel I already have it completely figured out.

wurpess · Post by **wurpess** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:15 am

x_rex30 wrote:
Pwolf wrote:I'm not a religious person, maybe a little spiritual though, but I don't think if someone believes in a higher power that they are "gullible" in that regard. if you believe all religions are wrong, then i think you're quite gullible yourself. There's no concrete evidence either way. I wont even go as far to say anything in the Bible is incorrect, I think it's all accurate in context. Nothing is wrong with religion, the problem is when someone tries to force everyone around them to conform to it or use it as a means to further their own agenda.
In the end, I'm just making fun of certain people that make a conclusion on something that would make them comfortable even if it may be wrong, they wont question the conclusions they make but will judge other who have made their own conclusions to things they don't agree with and preach they are wrong. I'm making fun of those who spew there opinions out as fact. Those who follow a belief they have without out questioning and having the open idea that what they believe could be wrong. I can't stand close minded arrogance. I'm agnostic and when I see something that is obviously still put out there on the table then I wont jump and keep a conclusion because I feel I already have it completely figured out.

So your complaint is with the arrogant, close-minded idiots, not necessarily with the gullible. The merriam-webster dictionary defines gullible as easily duped or cheated. But that's not to say that after the duping/cheating occurs, that they may find out and accept the truth and learn from it. What you're referring to are the arrogant, stubborn idiots who either refuse to admit they were wrong or who feel that their way is the only right way, even if it is wrong or doesn't work for everyone else.

x_rex30 · Post by **x_rex30** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:55 am

Something like that. Yes I don't like close minded arrogance but I also fear we lack progression when people are gullible. I just want people to be more open minded and try to do more research and analyze both sides of a coin instead of acting like they got both sides figured out.

If something is obvious common sense then fine, keep a nice solid conclusion but when certain things can be looked at in many perspectives then I'd hope you are able to see more than one or two perspectives on the issue.

And also my feelings on certain arrogant people is not the fact they could be wrong in their beliefs, it's that they lack the ability to question their beliefs and follow whatever they are blindly.

CodeZTM · Post by **CodeZTM** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 9:48 am

x_rex30 wrote:And also my feelings on certain arrogant people is not the fact they could be wrong in their beliefs, it's that they lack the ability to question their beliefs and follow whatever they are blindly.

Having faith doesn't always mean they follow it blindly. Good greif, the whole point of most religions is to question things and draw your own conclusions based on holy text and your own intuition.

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:01 am

CodeChrono wrote:
x_rex30 wrote:And also my feelings on certain arrogant people is not the fact they could be wrong in their beliefs, it's that they lack the ability to question their beliefs and follow whatever they are blindly.
Having faith doesn't always mean they follow it blindly. Good greif, the whole point of most religions is to question things and draw your own conclusions based on holy text and your own intuition.

By the same token, cults do the same thing - present the illusion of choice so that the indoctrinated are made to believe that their choices are their own so that they harbor no ill will towards their elders. The gullible fall for that (OMG - I brought a tangent full circle) while the scared, dejected ones see their situation as being between a rock and a hard place - they loose what they perceive as everything if they make the wrong choice (friends, family, security, etc.).

Prodigi · Post by **Prodigi** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:25 am

BasharOfTheAges wrote:
CodeChrono wrote:
x_rex30 wrote:And also my feelings on certain arrogant people is not the fact they could be wrong in their beliefs, it's that they lack the ability to question their beliefs and follow whatever they are blindly.
Having faith doesn't always mean they follow it blindly. Good greif, the whole point of most religions is to question things and draw your own conclusions based on holy text and your own intuition.
By the same token, cults do the same thing - present the illusion of choice so that the indoctrinated are made to believe that their choices are their own so that they harbor no ill will towards their elders. The gullible fall for that (OMG - I brought a tangent full circle) while the scared, dejected ones see their situation as being between a rock and a hard place - they loose what they perceive as everything if they make the wrong choice (friends, family, security, etc.).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl9ldtRFigw

Pwolf · Post by **Pwolf** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 11:59 am

BasharOfTheAges wrote:
CodeChrono wrote:
x_rex30 wrote:And also my feelings on certain arrogant people is not the fact they could be wrong in their beliefs, it's that they lack the ability to question their beliefs and follow whatever they are blindly.
Having faith doesn't always mean they follow it blindly. Good greif, the whole point of most religions is to question things and draw your own conclusions based on holy text and your own intuition.
By the same token, cults do the same thing - present the illusion of choice so that the indoctrinated are made to believe that their choices are their own so that they harbor no ill will towards their elders. The gullible fall for that (OMG - I brought a tangent full circle) while the scared, dejected ones see their situation as being between a rock and a hard place - they loose what they perceive as everything if they make the wrong choice (friends, family, security, etc.).

Being the victim of manipulation is different then someone being gullible, IMO. A good con artist will making you believe in something that's not true and do it well. You don't have to be gullible for them to do that.

I think the point of this thread has nothing to do with being gullible at all. It's about people being closed minded. Two very different things. Being gullible just means you're prone to being deceived. Being closed minded means you wont look at the larger picture or acknowledge other viewpoints. I believe a lot of the people who are closed minded on issues truly believe that's how it should be. I also believe they are closed minded because they are uncomfortable about it being otherwise. They can't accept change because they are comfortable with the way it is now.

Sukunai · Post by **Sukunai** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 1:53 pm

Wizard's First Rule : People are stupid.

Yep every last one of you, myself included unfortunately, can be made to look like an absolute fricking stupid moron. We all have our weaknesses.

But some people seem to be so damned skilled at being stupid, and often at entirely critical life altering matters too.

Oh well, if we all made sense, never did anything stupid, thought logically and acted rationally, the world would probably be very boring.

Very safe, but very boring.

aesling · Post by **aesling** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 2:05 pm

I find it interesting that the thread started out being about gullibility in a very general sense, but quickly devolved into another argument about religion.

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:41 pm

Sukunai wrote:Wizard's First Rule : People are stupid.

I thought it was "Is it immune to fire?" "no?" "Then, fireball!"