713. When One Irrationality Serves To Reinforce Another
Wars are a manifestation of the ingroup-outgroup instinct.
The more someone perceives, defines and identifies himself as a bearer of genes and his purpose of existence as to enable his genes to survive and to spread, the more any behavior favoring his own progeny is subjectively logical to him. Even exploiting and killing outgroup members thus appears permissible and even mandatory to him.
Rationality ascribing equal rights to any person on this globe makes the ingroup-outgroup obsolete. But while this instinct it is often consciously, publicly and legally discarded and rejected, it prevails subconsciously.
When people are torn in cognitive dissonance, when they are oscillating between rational behavior and irrational instinctive urges and tendencies, a variety of irrational beliefs are invented to ease the inner conflict.
These beliefs allow people to succumb to and to follow their instincts without feeling bad. For many people, this comes easier than to rationally conquer instincts.
Wars are a manifestation of the ingroup-outgroup instinct.
The more someone perceives, defines and identifies himself as a bearer of genes and his purpose of existence as to enable his genes to survive and to spread, the more any behavior favoring his own progeny is subjectively logical to him. Even exploiting and killing outgroup members thus appears permissible and even mandatory to him.
Rationality ascribing equal rights to any person on this globe makes the ingroup-outgroup obsolete. But while this instinct it is often consciously, publicly and legally discarded and rejected, it prevails subconsciously.
When people are torn in cognitive dissonance, when they are oscillating between rational behavior and irrational instinctive urges and tendencies, a variety of irrational beliefs are invented to ease the inner conflict.
These beliefs allow people to succumb to and to follow their instincts without feeling bad. For many people, this comes easier than to rationally conquer instincts.
While denial prevents to recognize and acknowledge the irrationality of the belief itself, being guided by this belief makes the instinctive behavior subjectively appear rational. Thus the pseudo-rationality of the belief enhances instinctive behavior, even though it is obsolete and harmful.
The following article is an interesting indication of how war is reinforced by religious beliefs.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140515153811.htm
The following article is an interesting indication of how war is reinforced by religious beliefs.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140515153811.htm
"World War I -- the “war to end all wars” -- in fact sowed seeds for future international conflicts in a way that has been largely overlooked: through religion, says a historian and author. Widespread belief in the supernatural was a driving force during the war and helped mold all three of the major religions -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam -- paving the way for modern views of religion and violence, he said."
