Why physicists think they know everything (and why they're wrong)

[giblets]

Are you saying that either you're born with something or you choose to have it? Like if someone is missing an arm, I can assume they were born without that arm or chose to hack it off?

[Jon Miller]

We are talking about beliefs, not arms.

But yes, it is still a choice if you get taught free market economics in school and you accept and believe in it (for example).

JM

[giblets]

I don't see how that's a choice. Besides, why doesn't anyone choose to believe things like "ice doesn't exist" or "the sky is orange"?

[Jon Miller]

Are you capable of rational thought?

There are experts on belief. There are ways to discuss rational belief. The experts are call philosophers (and theologians in the case of religion). This has nothing to do with beliefs being choices.

JM
(And yes, there are people who believe that the sky is orange and that ice doesn't exist.)

[Jon Miller]

Are you the sort of person who complains that baskin robins doesn't give you a choice because you go in and order the sun?

JM

[giblets]

Are you capable of rational thought?

There are experts on belief. There are ways to discuss rational belief. The experts are call philosophers (and theologians in the case of religion). This has nothing to do with beliefs being choices.

JM
(And yes, there are people who believe that the sky is orange and that ice doesn't exist.)

What the hell do philosophers (which you call "the experts on belief") have to do with my comment? I don't think people can just suddenly start believing that, say, ice doesn't exist because they figure it would be a fun thing to believe. I've never heard of someone who believed ice doesn't exist and I'm wondering how you know they exist.

[giblets]

Okay, I would like to believe there is no such thing as wood. How do I choose to believe that? Repeating to myself "wood isn't real" hasn't worked because I still think wood is real. Maybe I should ask for assistance from a philosopher.

[KrazyHorse]

Physicists

They should all be killed before they invent new weapons which are even more terrible than nukes.

[Jon Miller]

Okay, I would like to believe there is no such thing as wood. How do I choose to believe that? Repeating to myself "wood isn't real" hasn't worked because I still think wood is real. Maybe I should ask for assistance from a philosopher.

I would like two scoops of seminorm, please.

JM

[Jon Miller]

Physicists

They should all be killed before they invent new weapons which are even more terrible than nukes.

They already did in the last 20 years on wall street

JM

[giblets]

I would like two scoops of seminorm, please.

JM

So basically, you think I could choose to believe in leprechauns because there is no way to prove me wrong. But as soon as I come up with a belief that obviously contradicts reality (in your eyes) you don't think I could choose to believe it. Am I getting it right.

[Jon Miller]

No.

But don't let that bother you. I don't think you are capable of doing so.

JM

[giblets]

Well you made the assertion beliefs are choices, didn't provide any evidence, and when I asked for clarification (because I think some beliefs are obviously not things people could choose) you started insulting me and claiming I can't think rationally.

[KrazyHorse]

They already did in the last 20 years on wall street

JM

There are no physicists on wall street.

[Tupac Shakur]

Besides, the man that killed Wall Street was a Canadian-educated quant.