50 popular beliefs that people think are true

What is implied, of course, is that these beliefs are not true, or at least unproven. And since he happens to be absolutely right, he sets out to dismantle each of these beliefs. Harrison does this by putting together the facts, the evidence, the basis of the story. Where did he come from? Who said that? What evidence is there for this belief? With some beliefs like flying saucers, it’s ready to believe, does not dispute the possibility, but is awaiting hard evidence, which shows that they do not yet exist. Just because something is misunderstood, that doesn’t mean we should believe in some explanation that has no factual basis, like the ancient Greeks who thought that Zeus was shooting lightning bolts every time there was a storm.

There are a lot of beliefs to consider. Here is a list of a dozen.

Either you are born intelligent or you are not.

astrology is scientific

A psychic reads my mind

Atlantis is down there somewhere

Creationism is true and evolution is not

Past Life Stories Prove Reincarnation Is Real

Ghosts are real and they live in haunted houses.

UFOs are visitors from other worlds

Area 51 is where they keep the aliens

My religion is the one that is true

Global Warming is a Political Problem and Nothing More

TV news gives me an accurate view of the world

Well, there are still about 40 more beliefs to examine.

This is an interesting book, one where you can dive into any chapter. He first gives a presentation of the belief and then explains why it is false or baseless. That is, it gives factual evidence, not opinions.

However, there is another aspect to this book; someone who believes in creationism, that the world is only 6,000 years old and was created in six days, will not be swayed by any amount of factual information. His beliefs are not based on evidence, but on faith. People who believe in many of these beliefs do not do so because of logical, scientific, reasoned information, they do so because of emotional convictions, or by accepting the word of some authority. Facts will not disturb your beliefs. And yes, they have a perfect right to their beliefs like all of us.

We can understand that, because most of our beliefs are established by emotion, and once that happens, it’s hard to change them. For example, most of us vote for a political party and will do so all our lives, no matter what. It is the small number of undecided voters that really decides who wins the election.

Harrison met a woman in California who was carrying a sandwich board proclaiming that the world would end on May 21, 2011. She believed that 97% of the world’s population would be destroyed; only the faithful, the elect, would be taken to heaven. Despite all her arguments, she was completely convinced of her belief. Judgment day had been proclaimed by Harold Camping, but when it did not occur he told his followers that it was an “Invisible Judgment Day” and the actual date of destruction had been revised to October 21, 2011. Even after this , many of his followers still believed in his prophecy.

This book is an interesting read, especially if you are prepared to listen to what is presented. For example, “A flying saucer crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947…” Personally I’ve always had doubts about this, it could possibly be true, yes I saw a blurry photo of a Martian but I was never quite convinced. It’s nice to get unbiased information about something so many people believe.

Reading this book will broaden your understanding of life. It gives you both sides of many issues and teaches you to consider the facts, the science if there is any, without mindlessly swallowing some internet story.

Harrison points out that good skeptics don’t accept any wild claim presented without evidence, but they don’t reject wild claims outright either. There is always an open door, waiting for evidence.

Harrison talks about some of his own experiences, leading him to understand why people believe things that aren’t true. He talks about his college days when he lived in an old two-story house. He was often alone in the upstairs section, but he would hear creaking noises, as if someone was walking up the stairs. When he investigated, he found nothing. Although he logically came to accept this, his emotions often screamed in fear. So when he hears that people think a house is haunted, he feels a certain sympathy, a certain understanding.

He makes an interesting point about the miraculous healings of evangelical preachers when he points out that although there have been many thousands of people who claim to have been cured of various diseases, in all of history there has never been a case of an amputee recovering. The cures are all within. He once went to a religious meeting and wrote about an old woman who was brought on stage, wounded and cured of cancer. He wrote this case for his newspaper. But the following week she died. The editor of the newspaper told him not to publish the story of her death. So the people were deceived.

Harrison explains how we accept some of these beliefs. Think of a stage magician, he is not using magic to perform these miraculous tricks. He’s using tricks! Smoke and mirrors, psychological tricks, false panels. Sure, you can enjoy “magic”, but don’t believe for a minute in his “magical powers” just because you don’t understand how his tricks are done.

In this book, each belief fits into a larger pattern, such as Magical thinking or strange cures. At the end of each chapter, it provides a list of books that provide evidence for each belief so you can follow along with more detailed information.

If you read this book, you are sure to broaden your mind and learn to think more objectively. You will be more aware, not skeptical, but less unprepared.

Finally, it provides a theory for why people continue to believe unproven and discredited beliefs.

“…it is important to be aware of how we perceive and evaluate the world around us. We know that humans are pattern-seeking creatures. Without even trying, we naturally try to connect the dots in almost everything we see and hear. This is a great skill if you’re trying to catch a camouflaged bird in a tree for your dinner… But pattern hunting also leads us to see things that aren’t there… which could waste our time and maybe get us into trouble . … we also have a tendency to automatically make connections and find patterns in our thinking. This is one of the reasons unlikely conspiracy theories can take root and flourish in the minds of so many.”

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