Concept Exploration and Initial Reaction to "You Gotta Believe," by Brian Trent
The
article “You Gotta Believe” provides a story I have witnessed countless times. Blind
faith is a major fallback humanity takes when presented with social issues. People
will blindly follow opinions whether they are in regards to religion, politics,
science, or anything in between (including cross-overs of the three). Some will
disregard facts and need no evidence for which to back up their claims. Just
believing in something strongly is enough. America’s pledge of equality can be
misinterpreted in the minds of radicals. By believing that everyone’s opinion
is equal in truth rather that value, crazy ideas can be coddled and fester to
become theories that are illogical in nature. Sure, the First Amendment allows
the average citizen to speak their mind and under the Constitution he or she is
free to believe whatever he or she wants. The problem lies in the distribution
of such opinions as fact.
Radical opinions are caused by the lack
of critical thinking and the absence of the scientific method. If someone has
an idea, that person should research the idea for him/herself as well as for
the public before it is shared. Poor decisions are made because of irrational
behavior. No matter the subject, one should conduct one’s belief system with a
logical eye. The problem with faith is that there is no logic. With the rise of
postmodernism and the decline of scientific education, populations are growing
more and more reliant on catchy ideals and almost anarchist notions. Mean world
syndrome takes hold and one is more apt to believe ridiculous tales of corruption.
This affects every aspect of modern society. If a person is told that a presidential
candidate is somehow inherently evil and believes it, then that person’s vote
is swayed and could make a difference on Election Day. On an even larger scale,
the mind ravings of a person in power could influence the listening citizens
and terrible decisions could be made based on his or her illogical ranting.
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