Psychology, philosophy: believe and don’t-believe

Self-tutoring about philosophy and psychology: the tutor reflects about thinking and believing.

In my post from December 30, 2018, I reflect about what qualifies as proof. An observation I make is that photographs and expert testimony seem sufficient to prove some claims, but not others.

Typically people will claim, for instance, that they don’t believe in aliens, although there are photographs of UFOs as well as trusted authorities who say they’ve seen them. The same is true for sasquatch.

Reflecting, I’ve come to the idea that believing does not necessarily reflect truth, but rather, likelihood. Bodybuilding holds a great example.

I’ve watched my son grow from weaker than I, to much stronger, in less than a year, because he lifts weights. The progress he’s experienced I would describe as unbelievable: I wouldn’t think it even remotely likely, if I didn’t witness it.

Safely you could say that I didn’t believe he’d progress the way he has. Does that mean I thought such progress impossible? Importantly, I felt it was.

When someone says they don’t believe in aliens, they might be talking literally: they haven’t made up their mind to accept that aliens visit Earth. Perhaps such a point of view doesn’t mean they think aliens are impossible; rather, they think encountering one so unlikely, that believing in them is irrelevant.