Re:Ask HN: Would presenting less evidence for evolution conv...
by jacquesm on Tuesday October 20, 2009 @12:02PM
(#892613)
You're not going to convince anybody that evolution is real on the basis of evidence, no matter how much or little, if they've made up their mind they will just dig in further and see your attempt as a personal attack.
And don't forget that for plenty of people DNA is just as much a mystery as god (or even electricity) is.
At this point it is all about belief, loss of face and admitting that you've been duped half a lifetime or more.
People are very stubborn when it comes to holding on to beliefs that are wrong, because they have a very personal stake in it. They would have to rebuild a part of their identity that has that belief as the basis, the stronger the belief, the larger the resistance.
Scientists have this just as much as non-scientists, sometimes they will hold on to a wrong theory until they die.
If someone has a firmly held belief then you can start ramming on them from the outside to change that belief, or you can accept them the way they are and have peace with that.
Why would you want to change another persons belief structures, it really is their problem, not yours, and if they'll change they will have to make that switch by themselves, in the context of life as they see it, which is not something an outsider could ever know or change.
And don't forget that for plenty of people DNA is just as much a mystery as god (or even electricity) is.
At this point it is all about belief, loss of face and admitting that you've been duped half a lifetime or more.
People are very stubborn when it comes to holding on to beliefs that are wrong, because they have a very personal stake in it. They would have to rebuild a part of their identity that has that belief as the basis, the stronger the belief, the larger the resistance.
Scientists have this just as much as non-scientists, sometimes they will hold on to a wrong theory until they die.
If someone has a firmly held belief then you can start ramming on them from the outside to change that belief, or you can accept them the way they are and have peace with that.
Why would you want to change another persons belief structures, it really is their problem, not yours, and if they'll change they will have to make that switch by themselves, in the context of life as they see it, which is not something an outsider could ever know or change.