The Big Ideas - Diplomat with The New York Times

Page 74

แƒ”แƒ แƒแƒš แƒ›แƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜: แƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜ แƒ’แƒ•แƒฏแƒ”แƒ แƒ แƒ แƒฌแƒ›แƒ”แƒœแƒ-แƒฌแƒแƒ แƒ›แƒแƒ“แƒ’แƒ”แƒœแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒก แƒจแƒ”แƒกแƒแƒฎแƒ”แƒ‘? แƒ˜แƒก, แƒ แƒแƒช แƒ’แƒ’แƒแƒœแƒ˜แƒแƒ— แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒ˜แƒชแƒ˜แƒ—, แƒ แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒšแƒแƒ“ แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒ•แƒ—แƒฅแƒ•แƒแƒ—, แƒ›แƒชแƒ“แƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒ

Errol Morris: What We Believe About Beliefs What you think you know is probably wrong โ€” and thatโ€™s putting it nicely

ERROL MORRIS is a writer and filmmaker. His latest film is โ€œMy Psychedelic Love Story.โ€ (CREDIT: Nubar Alexanian)

แƒง

แƒฌแƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒก แƒฌแƒ˜แƒœ แƒฌแƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒ™แƒ˜แƒ—แƒฎแƒ” แƒแƒœแƒ”แƒ™แƒ“แƒแƒขแƒ˜ แƒ–แƒแƒแƒ แƒ–แƒ”, แƒ›แƒ”-19 แƒกแƒแƒฃแƒ™แƒฃแƒœแƒ˜แƒก แƒฃแƒขแƒแƒžแƒ˜แƒฃแƒ  แƒขแƒแƒ›แƒ–แƒ”. แƒ˜แƒ’แƒ˜ แƒกแƒแƒกแƒแƒ›แƒแƒ แƒ—แƒšแƒ แƒคแƒกแƒ˜แƒฅแƒ˜แƒแƒขแƒ แƒ˜แƒ˜แƒก แƒจแƒ”แƒกแƒแƒฎแƒ”แƒ‘ แƒฌแƒ˜แƒ’แƒœแƒจแƒ˜ แƒ˜แƒงแƒ แƒœแƒแƒฎแƒกแƒ”แƒœแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜, แƒ—แƒฃแƒ›แƒชแƒ แƒ›แƒ˜แƒก แƒžแƒ˜แƒ แƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒฌแƒงแƒแƒ แƒแƒก แƒ“แƒฆแƒ”แƒ›แƒ“แƒ” แƒ•แƒ”แƒ  แƒ›แƒ˜แƒ•แƒแƒ’แƒ”แƒœแƒ˜. แƒแƒ›แƒ‘แƒแƒ•แƒ˜ แƒ™แƒ˜ แƒ”แƒฎแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ, แƒ–แƒแƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒก แƒฃแƒ™แƒแƒœแƒแƒกแƒ™แƒœแƒ”แƒš แƒ›แƒ™แƒ•แƒ˜แƒ“แƒ  แƒฅแƒแƒšแƒก, แƒ แƒแƒ›แƒ”แƒšแƒ›แƒแƒช แƒกแƒ˜แƒ™แƒ•แƒ“แƒ˜แƒšแƒ˜แƒก แƒกแƒแƒ แƒ”แƒชแƒ”แƒšแƒ–แƒ” แƒ—แƒฅแƒ•แƒ: โ€œแƒ˜แƒคแƒ˜แƒฅแƒ แƒ”แƒ— แƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒ แƒ แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒ’แƒ˜แƒแƒ–แƒ”. แƒจแƒ”แƒฃแƒซแƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒ แƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒ แƒญแƒ”แƒจแƒ›แƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒขแƒ˜ แƒ˜แƒงแƒแƒก, แƒ›แƒแƒ’แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒจแƒ”แƒกแƒแƒซแƒšแƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒงแƒแƒก แƒแƒ แƒแƒกแƒฌแƒแƒ แƒ˜.โ€ แƒฉแƒ”แƒ›แƒ—แƒ•แƒ˜แƒก แƒ›แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜ แƒกแƒ˜แƒขแƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜ แƒฎแƒแƒ–แƒก แƒฃแƒกแƒ•แƒแƒ›แƒ“แƒ แƒ แƒฌแƒ›แƒ”แƒœแƒ˜แƒก แƒกแƒแƒ˜แƒ“แƒฃแƒ›แƒšแƒแƒ”แƒ‘แƒแƒก. แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒฉแƒ•แƒ”แƒœ แƒ“แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒฏแƒ”แƒ แƒแƒ— แƒกแƒฌแƒแƒ แƒ”แƒ“ แƒ˜แƒก, แƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜ แƒ“แƒแƒฏแƒ”แƒ แƒ”แƒ‘แƒแƒช แƒ’แƒ•แƒกแƒฃแƒ แƒก, แƒ แƒแƒช แƒ˜แƒกแƒ”แƒ“แƒแƒช แƒฎแƒจแƒ˜แƒ แƒแƒ“ แƒฎแƒ“แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ. แƒ—แƒฃแƒ›แƒชแƒ, แƒ“แƒ˜แƒ“แƒ˜ แƒแƒšแƒ‘แƒแƒ—แƒแƒ‘แƒ˜แƒ—, แƒ˜แƒก, แƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜แƒช แƒ’แƒ•แƒฏแƒ”แƒ แƒ แƒจแƒ”แƒชแƒ“แƒแƒ›แƒแƒ. แƒ–แƒแƒ’แƒฏแƒ”แƒ  แƒแƒ แƒ แƒ›แƒฎแƒแƒšแƒแƒ“ แƒ›แƒชแƒ“แƒแƒ แƒ˜แƒ, แƒแƒ แƒแƒ›แƒ”แƒ“, แƒแƒ–แƒ แƒกแƒ›แƒแƒ™แƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜แƒชแƒแƒ. แƒแƒกแƒ” แƒ แƒแƒ›, แƒแƒ˜ แƒ แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜ แƒ›แƒฏแƒ”แƒ แƒ: แƒ›แƒฌแƒแƒ›แƒก แƒ แƒแƒ›, แƒ—แƒฃ แƒ แƒแƒ˜แƒ›แƒ”แƒก แƒ˜แƒฌแƒแƒ›แƒ”แƒ‘, แƒœแƒ˜แƒจแƒœแƒแƒ•แƒก แƒกแƒแƒ™แƒฃแƒ—แƒแƒ แƒ˜ แƒ—แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒก แƒ›แƒแƒกแƒ แƒแƒšแƒแƒก แƒจแƒ”แƒชแƒ“แƒแƒ›แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒก แƒฃแƒซแƒ˜แƒ แƒ แƒแƒ แƒ›แƒแƒจแƒ˜, แƒกแƒแƒ“แƒแƒช แƒงแƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒ แƒกแƒ˜แƒชแƒ แƒฃแƒ˜แƒก แƒจแƒ”แƒ›แƒฅแƒœแƒ”แƒšแƒ˜แƒช แƒ—แƒ•แƒ˜แƒ—แƒแƒœ แƒฎแƒแƒ . แƒฌแƒแƒ แƒ›แƒแƒ˜แƒ“แƒ’แƒ˜แƒœแƒ”แƒ—, แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒ‘แƒœแƒ”แƒš แƒฎแƒ”แƒ˜แƒ•แƒแƒœแƒจแƒ˜ แƒฎแƒแƒ แƒ—, แƒ›แƒแƒ’แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒแƒ แƒ แƒžแƒšแƒแƒขแƒแƒœแƒ˜แƒก แƒ’แƒแƒ›แƒแƒฅแƒ•แƒแƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒจแƒ˜ แƒแƒ แƒ,แƒแƒ แƒ. แƒ›แƒ” แƒœแƒแƒ™แƒšแƒ”แƒ‘แƒแƒ“, แƒแƒœ แƒกแƒแƒ”แƒ แƒ—แƒแƒ“ แƒแƒ  แƒ›แƒแƒ˜แƒœแƒขแƒ”แƒ แƒ”-

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verybody has his own creation myth. Hereโ€™s mine. God, in his infinite wisdom, gave man self-deception, figuring that if he could effectively deceive himself, he would have an easier time deceiving others.

Years ago I read an anecdote about the 19th-century uto-

pian community of Zoar. It was mentioned in passing in a book about forensic psychiatry. And, try as I might, I havenโ€™t been able to source it since. The story concerns the last living inhabitant of Zoar, a woman who on her deathbed said, โ€œThink of all those religions. They canโ€™t all be right. But they can all be wrong.โ€ For me, her words emphasized the insidious nature of belief. That we can believe whatever we want to believe. And often do. But in all likelihood, what we believe is wrong. Maybe not just wrong. Even stupid. So, hereโ€™s what I believe. I believe that to believe anything is to throw yourself down a bottomless pit of error. And the nastiest snake oil salesman of all is oneself. Imagine youโ€™re in a dark alley. Not Platoโ€™s cave โ€” no, no. I have little or no interest in imagining myself in Platoโ€™s cave and, anyway, if Plato is to be believed, weโ€™re all in his cave.

ยฉ 2022 The New York Times Company and Errol Morris

แƒ•แƒ”แƒšแƒแƒก แƒแƒฅแƒ•แƒก แƒจแƒ”แƒฅแƒ›แƒœแƒ˜แƒšแƒ˜ แƒ—แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜ แƒ›แƒ˜แƒ—แƒ˜/แƒ›แƒ แƒฌแƒแƒ›แƒกแƒ˜. แƒฉแƒ”แƒ›แƒ˜ แƒแƒกแƒ”แƒ—แƒ˜แƒ: แƒฆแƒ›แƒ”แƒ แƒ—แƒ›แƒ แƒ—แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒกแƒ˜ แƒฃแƒกแƒแƒ–แƒฆแƒ•แƒ แƒ แƒกแƒ˜แƒ‘แƒ แƒซแƒœแƒ˜แƒ—, แƒแƒ“แƒแƒ›แƒ˜แƒแƒœแƒก แƒฃแƒ‘แƒแƒซแƒ แƒกแƒแƒ™แƒฃแƒ—แƒแƒ แƒ˜ แƒ—แƒแƒ•แƒ˜แƒก แƒ›แƒแƒขแƒงแƒฃแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒก แƒฃแƒœแƒแƒ แƒ˜ แƒ“แƒ แƒฉแƒแƒ—แƒ•แƒแƒšแƒ, แƒ แƒแƒ› แƒ—แƒฃ แƒแƒ“แƒแƒ›แƒ˜แƒแƒœแƒ˜ แƒ›แƒแƒก แƒ”แƒคแƒ”แƒฅแƒขแƒฃแƒ แƒแƒ“ แƒ’แƒแƒ›แƒแƒ˜แƒงแƒ”แƒœแƒ”แƒ‘แƒ“แƒ, แƒกแƒฎแƒ•แƒ”แƒ‘แƒ–แƒ” แƒ–แƒ”แƒ›แƒแƒฅแƒ›แƒ”แƒ“แƒ”แƒ‘แƒแƒช แƒฃแƒคแƒ แƒ แƒ’แƒแƒฃแƒแƒ“แƒ•แƒ˜แƒšแƒ“แƒ”แƒ‘แƒแƒ“แƒ.


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