Truth, The Nature Of Reality And Its Relationship To Politics

Highlights of this post:

• Some people argue that truth and reality is unknown and unknowable as a diversion. 
• Our senses are limited.
• What first appears to be true is often found to be false at a later time.
• While reality may be uncertain or unknowable we must operate within a framework we call reality or things will end badly.
• If you do not obey certain rules you can hurt yourself or even die. This is also true when making decisions related to politics.
• When people discuss politics are they thinking fast or thinking slow? What is the difference?
• If not Trump then realistically who?

Background

Recently a host of Trump haters bombarded this website with stupid talking point emails. They simply copy and paste things that are from left-wing sites like Mediaite. Much of it has been debunked. Other parts are simply opinions and everyone has one. These folks appear to be removed from reality. The fact is Trump has only grown more popular. There are two main reasons. First, every time they indict him people see it as a political hit job. Few rational people think he would have been indicted if he had not been President. The second reason his popularity grows is due to the horrible job that is being done by the current administration, whoever that is it is not Joe Biden. He is not capable of running a 7-Eleven convenience store and everyone knows that.

During a conversation with a liberal friend who likes to go deep, we were discussing the nature of reality. If you are into this kind of thing you know that science cannot tell us what the true nature of reality is. There are many theories. I believe she uses this as a fallback position when it comes to things she does not want to admit. The subject can be religion, politics, or human behavior. If you don’t agree then fall back and ask questions about truth and reality.

To diffuse the situation I typically agree reality is something science does not understand. One example I like to use is our limited senses. We say there are 5 but I include two more. They are 6, Time, and 7, Intellect. I’m sure we can take this further but that will suffice for this post. What we see, taste, smell, feel, and hear takes time to enter our brains, and then the intellect tries to make sense of it. It also takes time to see if the things we sensed turn out to be true. Discussions that try to divert from the framework of reality can be entertaining but we all need to come back down to earth and deal with it at some point.

This conversation was interesting on two levels. First, is the discussion of the nature of reality and truth. The second is my friend is a top grad from Johns Hopkins in psychology. She has been a vehement opponent of Donald Trump and even calls him a “Malignant Narcissist”.  However, now she is considering voting for him! Amazing what a little reason can do for a person. My hope is by outlining our discussion on the nature of reality veterans who support Trump can go forward with a better way of reasoning with people who might use this or similar tactics to divert from the subject.

Below is a quick outline of our discussion points on reality. It was a 3 hour conversation so this is condensed. The point I’m trying to make is if you remain friends with people who disagree with you, over time you may win them over. Admit the parts of their viewpoint that are legitimate but bring them back down to the practical real world.

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Reality

Our senses have their limitations.

Take our eyes, for instance. They can only perceive a tiny fraction of the entire spectrum of light. It’s been noted countless times that the range of visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum is so minuscule that if you were to stretch out the practical electromagnetic spectrum from Los Angeles to New York, the visible wavelengths would be smaller than a dime. Can you imagine how much more there is beyond our sense of smell, hearing, and the like? Dogs, for instance, possess an incredible sense of smell that surpasses our own. They can detect scents that are completely undetectable to us. Not only that, but their hearing is also far superior to ours. The list of examples just goes on and on.

What appears to be true, at first, is often later discovered to be incorrect.

In the realm of scientific knowledge, initial assumptions often prove to be erroneous upon further investigation. Numerous instances can be cited to support this notion. For instance, Sir Isaac Newton’s understanding of gravity was eventually superseded by Albert Einstein’s revolutionary theory. However, even Einstein’s theory is now being scrutinized, as scientists strive to uncover a more comprehensive explanation. Another area where our understanding has evolved is the age of the universe, which has undergone significant revisions multiple times during my lifetime, with variations spanning billions of years. These examples merely scratch the surface of the vast array of paradigm shifts that have occurred in scientific understanding.

While reality may be uncertain or unknowable we must operate within a framework we call reality or things will end badly.

If we grasp the concept of the physical universe accurately, we come to realize that there is more space than what we typically consider as matter. The atomic and subatomic level has been likened to the distance between the stars and galaxies. However, this doesn’t mean we’ll fall through the earth like a scene from a sci-fi movie. If you happen to get hit by a car, rest assured it’s going to hurt or potentially even end your life. It doesn’t matter that on the quantum level, the notion of matter (pun intended) becomes somewhat elusive, as it is from this level that our physical reality seems to emanate.

Thinking Fast And Slow

When people discuss politics are they thinking fast or thinking slow? What is the difference?

The premise of the book “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman revolves around the concept of two distinct systems that govern our decision-making processes. System 1 operates automatically and quickly, relying on intuitive and effortless thinking, while System 2 is deliberate and requires effort to engage in logical and analytical thinking. Kahneman draws upon his extensive research in cognitive psychology to explore the biases and limitations inherent within each system.

Ultimately, “Thinking, Fast and Slow” offers valuable insights for professionals across various industries seeking to enhance their decision-making abilities by understanding the complexities of human cognition. It is also useful for those who want to maintain credibility in the knee-jerk reactionary political culture we find ourselves in today. I can tell the people we most often argue with are using system 1 thinking. System 1 thinking is necessary. We cannot stop to analyze every little thing or nothing gets done. However, system 2 thinking is better when you have time to think things through.

The technique I used to win over my friend took years and many discussions. You have to be patient, wise and really listen to the other person. Understand how and why they think what they do. You are unlikely to win people over on social media. Everyone there is involved in system 1 thinking. There is also peer pressure. People do not want to admit they are wrong.  I’m sure my friend would never admit publicly that she is going to vote for Trump. I imagine there are many like her.

If you want to take a deep dive on that issue alone I can recommend the book Thinking Fast and Slow.

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Conclusion

It’s absolutely fascinating how those who oppose Trump are incredibly skilled in the art of System 1 thinking. I mean, who needs slow, analytical thoughts when you can just rely on pure emotion and reactivity, right? It’s truly impressive how they can effortlessly sidetrack you with their clever tactics, even going as far as exploiting our lack of understanding of reality to divert attention from the logical consequences of our decisions.

There is a framework of reality by which we must live or suffer the consequences. What matters is the policies Trump put forth while serving in the White House compared to the current administration. The reality of this situation is Trump will be the Republican Primary winner. For those who oppose Trump, I only have one question. If not Trump then who? Comments that do not contain an answer to that question will be deleted or ignored. 

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