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The Terrifying Future Threat of Nuclear Waste According to the Government
A Shoggoth on the Roof:
decision process and facts are two different things. You make decisions based off of beliefs and facts, more of one or the other depending on the decision- some decisions are obviously more emotionally charge than others. I mean, I'm not going to choose between two different girls because of facts, I'm going to go with the one I just know I like more. At the same time, if I'm buying a new car or deciding what type of material is most efficient to build something out of, I would use facts.
Beliefs will make people lean to one side or the other when it comes to decision making, but the facts themselves (should) remain unchanged. I'm sure some people forget that sometimes, but still. Of course, I'm an atheist, so I don't really have terribly complicated beliefs. It's surely different with extremists on either side (from staunch atheists to fervent catholics) I mean, I know someone who votes for political leaders based solely on who is pro-life, and I know people who think science can prove god illogical and highly improbable. Both let their beliefs cloud the facts. I'm not saying everyone makes a distinction between the two, I'm just saying, people should.
Alex C:
You're talking about opinions. Opinions are subjective by their very nature even when they are true statements. I don't like Pepsi is a statement that asserts nothing but my own preferences. Same thing when I say I like the Vikings. A belief is the statement that proposes something is or will be true, typically with little supporting evidence, which is what distinguishes believing something from knowing something. When you say you believe in God, you're saying that a God does in fact exist. That's a different kettle of fish from saying you think Jesus sounds like someone you'd hang out with. So, yeah, facts and beliefs are often seperate, but I think you're better off deciding on what your beliefs are after considering some of the facts involved rather than keeping them cordoned off from eachother. At the very least, I'd kind of appreciate it if you did since we're all stuck on the same planet for the time being.
P.S. I readily acknowledge that I have just as many beliefs as the next guy. For example, I believe that thinking beliefs are unassailable is an irresponsible position to take.
snalin:
OWW, I see where you are coming from with the living world thing. And I completely agree with you, it's probably beneficial to see the world as one single living thing, and that if we hurt it on one side, the whole of it will eventually take the consequences. Just as a human is alive, but really only made up from multitudes of small, living organisms that work together. But you seem to have this idea that the earth is sentient. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounds a bit too far out. Especially the part where we colonize Mars not because our own will and needs, but then you are basically going back to "we have no free will". Which isn't really a good point to start out from, since it makes discussion go nowhere fast and makes everything ever meaningless.
A Shoggoth on the Roof:
Yea, that looks like it makes sense to me. I mean, Everyone's gonna look at the facts and then decide what they believe. We just come to different conclusions.
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: snalin on 26 Apr 2009, 13:47 ---if we hurt it on one side, the whole of it will eventually take the consequences.
--- End quote ---
That's called cause and effect, and has nothing to do with being alive. You could mention feedback as well, but the same applies.
--- Quote from: A Shoggoth on the Roof on 26 Apr 2009, 13:47 ---We just come to different conclusions.
--- End quote ---
But there's still only one actual world.
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