The Power of Disconfirming Evidence.

[hauslern]

Here is the contents of an email I received relevant to most of the threads that appear in this board. We all have to face this if we have an inclination to read to confirm our beliefs of shed them on the basis of new information. Sometimes social needs might make us ignore this.
Disconfirming Evidence
Jun 13
I’ve been thinking this week about disconfirming evidence, or incidences where our perceptions of ourselves and our outer lives are inconsistent.

As we arrive at the heights of our abilities, yogic or otherwise, increased mastery does not necessarily mean that we learn from our experiences. In fact, higher levels of knowing can keep us from seeking out evidence that reveals our weaknesses.

Disconfirming evidence arises from honest feedback. As we move through life, it can be increasingly difficult not to rationalize criticism. Learning how to engage with critical interchange is a powerful way to free ourselves from patterns that thwart our efforts to reflect, revise, and grow.

Disconfirming evidence can be hard to take in because malleability becomes secondary to stability. We start to bias toward who we believe ourselves to be rather than who we truly are. Receiving input that contradicts one’s self view is uncomfortable but it’s also a big opportunity to clarify our needs, values, and interests.

Disconfirming evidence is something that penetrates our defense structures and allows us to see aspects of ourselves that need attention. When truth reaches us, it is rarely ambiguous. We feel it land and disrupt the cozy sense of ourselves. The body is a great place to locate the genuineness of critical feedback. It is guileless and lets us know what issues are worthy of our efforts.

It is relatively rare to have both an understanding of ourselves from within and an accurate sense of how others perceive us. Both abilities are required in order to be truly self aware. When we gain the confidence to listen to disconfirming evidence, we cultivate coherence between our inner and outer selves.

Over time feedback that contradicts our self view becomes an ally, illuminating aspects of ourselves that are unknown to us. Rather than fear criticism we begin to see it as part of the flow of infinite becoming.

[drumdude]

Well said. I personally think that those of us who have been through a faith crisis, and realized that our deeply held beliefs turned out to be false, are much better prepared to deal with the world than those who only learn how to rationalize.

I think we've been given a gift, the ability to grow and reflect and leave no belief unchallenged and unexamined.

[Dr Moore]

The best modern disconfirming evidence in a Mormon context is that the “Church of Jesus Christ” secretly grew to become a top 100 stakeholder in western capitalism. It’s been discussed ad nauseum, but there’s really nothing more that needs to be said.

[Philo Sofee]

The best modern disconfirming evidence in a Mormon context is that the “Church of Jesus Christ” secretly grew to become a top 100 stakeholder in western capitalism. It’s been discussed ad nauseum, but there’s really nothing more that needs to be said.

Well, see, this way Jesus can legally own the earth he made, so there is that.

[Dr Moore]

The best modern disconfirming evidence in a Mormon context is that the “Church of Jesus Christ” secretly grew to become a top 100 stakeholder in western capitalism. It’s been discussed ad nauseum, but there’s really nothing more that needs to be said.

Well, see, this way Jesus can legally own the earth he made, so there is that.

Ha. BYP for the covered checkmate. Damn.

[drumdude]

The best modern disconfirming evidence in a Mormon context is that the “Church of Jesus Christ” secretly grew to become a top 100 stakeholder in western capitalism. It’s been discussed ad nauseum, but there’s really nothing more that needs to be said.

Well, see, this way Jesus can legally own the earth he made, so there is that.

You are truly the mopologist whisperer.

[MG 2.0]

Well said. I personally think that those of us who have been through a faith crisis, and realized that our deeply held beliefs turned out to be false, are much better prepared to deal with the world than those who only learn how to rationalize.

I think we've been given a gift, the ability to grow and reflect and leave no belief unchallenged and unexamined.

So what I hear you saying is that anyone who goes through a faith crisis and comes out the other end believing that the truth claims for the LDS Church may have a basis in truth comes to that point through mistaken/error ridden rationalization?

To say that you have a particular gift to “grow and reflect” in a way that an educated practicing member of the church doesn’t have, by default, borders on arrogance. I’ve mentioned the ‘arrogance thing’…with a dash of condescension thrown in…to Gadianton recently.

Now it appears to be showing its ugly head again.

Is this common among critics?

Regards,
MG

[Morley]

Well said. I personally think that those of us who have been through a faith crisis, and realized that our deeply held beliefs turned out to be false, are much better prepared to deal with the world than those who only learn how to rationalize.

I think we've been given a gift, the ability to grow and reflect and leave no belief unchallenged and unexamined.

So what I hear you saying is that anyone who goes through a faith crisis and comes out the other end believing that the truth claims for the LDS Church may have a basis in truth comes to that point through mistaken/error ridden rationalization?

To say that you have a particular gift to “grow and reflect” in a way that an educated practicing member of the church doesn’t have, by default, borders on arrogance. I’ve mentioned the ‘arrogance thing’…with a dash of condescension thrown in…to Gadianton recently.

Now it appears to be showing its ugly head again.

Is this common among critics?

Regards,
MG

I don't know why this would bother you, mentalgymnast. Doesn't the CoJCoLDS teach that members have access to specific gifts that are not available to non-members? How is that any less arrogant than nonbelievers claiming gifts?

[drumdude]

Well said. I personally think that those of us who have been through a faith crisis, and realized that our deeply held beliefs turned out to be false, are much better prepared to deal with the world than those who only learn how to rationalize.

I think we've been given a gift, the ability to grow and reflect and leave no belief unchallenged and unexamined.

So what I hear you saying is that anyone who goes through a faith crisis and comes out the other end believing that the truth claims for the LDS Church may have a basis in truth comes to that point through mistaken/error ridden rationalization?

To say that you have a particular gift to “grow and reflect” in a way that an educated practicing member of the church doesn’t have, by default, borders on arrogance. I’ve mentioned the ‘arrogance thing’…with a dash of condescension thrown in…to Gadianton recently.

Now it appears to be showing its ugly head again.

Is this common among critics?

Regards,
MG

I think those who have a genuine faith crisis experience the same thing, regardless of if they rejoin the church or not. I imagine most people who go through that experience would acknowledge they’re changed afterwards. Many people are happy to sit wherever they currently are without introspection, and that’s not a uniquely Mormon phenomenon. It’s a human one.

There are some Mormons who are honest about the issues in the church and don’t pretend they can be easily rationalized away. I would say they definitely have the gift.

[MG 2.0]

Morley and drumdude, remember playing hopscotch when you were a kid?

You’re both doing it.

Regards,
MG