It happened HERE!

[Brad]

Just a question for all of you who have read and were involved in some of the deeper subject matter: how many of you have had thier lives changed by what they have read... maybe you had your opinion swayed by anothers, and have subsequently had your life changed somehow?

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Silence Fills the Nothingness......NERRRR!

Even though stuff happens that we don't plan, be a man... use you hand.
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[Johan511]

I have many times....As you go through life you learn, and become more wise, and as this happens you change...Every moment the you that was is no longer and I new "You" emerges.

The main way I get information is through reading....Most people don't have their lives in order, so they can't teach me. So change must be brought about by experience and reading. WE could go deeper into this, but for your question I think this will do.

I would even go as far as to say if you have a mentor in your life that you trust, you are very lucky.

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[This message has been edited by Johan511 (edited July 05, 2001).]

 

[Magnus]

According to Michael Shermer at http://www.skeptic.com/ , there is a general tendency that the older one gets, the more a person will ignore or reject all contrary evidence to their beliefs and only consider anything new that adds or reinforces their earlier assumptions. So older people will cling much more tightly to their beliefs no matter how much new evidence refutes their position - this has the effect of slowing scientific & social change. However, these people eventually die off and the young thinkers, having the cleaner palette and hence much more openness to new ideas, will be much more unencumbered in introducing the newer ideas into the mainstream. Progress through death, in a sense.

 

[Johan511]

Wow Magnus, you on Fire today!

Correct again, this is the natural way -- It goes very far back in Human History -- Actually It began when humans began to THINK, or Have THOUGHTS -- this allowed them to live more comfortable, but in this same mechanism, the tendency to THINK also leads one to attach himself to his thought. It makes a beautiful rainbow in the end, we often call it Free Will.
But there are ways to overcome this...If there is a problem - there is a solution - and oft the solution is the problem.
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[This message has been edited by Johan511 (edited July 05, 2001).]

 

[Brad]

Does this same tendancy take credit for older peoples not being able to learn a new language or learn to use a computer?

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Silence Fills the Nothingness......NERRRR!

Even though stuff happens that we don't plan, be a man... use you hand.
<IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/enforcer.gif" border=0>

 

[Knight-Dragon]

As people live longer and retire later with the passing years, does this mean that obstruction to change will increase and progress of human civilisation will slow down? Maybe we can incl as a variable in the next Civ game - that as the average lifespan of the citizen of a particular civ increases, the progress of science for that civ will slow down.

 

[Leowind]

to C of H's original question, I havn't had a "life-altering" change, but I have participated in some of the deeper discussions because I myself am questioning and ever seeking Truth more fully. As such, I read, appreciate, and internally process all reasonable responses, and they become part of my thinking in some way, often at a sort of sub-conscious level. That is, I couldn't point to a specific reply and say "this is where I changed," yet the ideas in that reply have found their way into my thinking.

In response to Magnus/Michael Shermer, I must be the exception, because as I get older, I find myself continually questioning even what I've strongly believed all my life, and constantly seeking answers to the "big" questions. As one gets older, responsibilities such as jobs, spouses, kids, mortgage payments, etc. do tend to take one's time and energy so there is less available for intellectual/philosophical pursuits. I think, in general, I would probably agree with Mr. Shermer, though.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by Magnus:
So older people will cling much more tightly to their beliefs no matter how much new evidence refutes their position - this has the effect of slowing scientific & social change.

Or, perhaps, OLD FOLKS already have it right, and thus dod not need to change their positions to every crack brain new fad theory
that wet behind the ear whelps jump on.

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Gauis Mucius Scaevola Sinistra
Pontificator Pedanticus
Older, richer, and wiser than you.
Did I mention that I love the spellchecker?

 

[SlowwHand]

Or perhaps OLD FOLKS have made their own share of mistakes, and watched others make their share.

Unfortunately, some people think they have to make all mistakes fresh and on their own experience.
One wonders if they know fire is hot without sticking a hand in flame personally?<IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/cwm40.gif" border=0>

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It's In The Way That You Use It
Tuatha De Danann Tribe
ICQ 51553293



[This message has been edited by SlowwHand (edited July 09, 2001).]