A bird's eye observation...

[M30USA]

I've been reading the threads on divorce/separation for several months now. All these stories of broken relationships, split families with children, affairs, verbal and physical abuse, intense hate towards exes...

 

And I wonder: how could anyone believe that humans are not wayward and devious at the core? It takes so much effort to be good. It's second nature and a snap to act selfishly and destructively.

 

From the time of birth, you don't have to teach a baby to be selfish, bratty, and rebelious. He or she already knows. No...anything and everything good he or she must be taught: sharing, loving, and considering others.

Edited July 2, 2012 by M30USA

[quickjoe]

This is what is called confirmation bias.

[M30USA]

One could take your argument further and say that every single word out of a persons mouth is confirmation bias--other than what is provable in a lab setting.

 

You love your wife?

 

Confirmation bias.

 

Is the sunset beautiful?

 

Confirmation bias.

 

By the way, do you have children?

Edited July 2, 2012 by M30USA

[M30USA]

1) One makes claim to love ones wife.

2) This claim implies that he, indeed, does.

3) But there is no way to prove love.

4) Therefore it is assumed (ie, confirmation bias) that he does love his wife, even without proof.

5) Furthermore, since you could also say this his love is merely a selfish set of emotions where he merely gets something in return, you are assuming that it is, in fact, real love since it can't be proven.

 

Thatone, consider this my last post in response to you. I really see your responses to my posts as a waste of time.

[thatone]

I've been reading the threads on divorce/separation for several months now. All these stories of broken relationships, split families with children, affairs, verbal and physical abuse, intense hate towards exes...

 

And I wonder: how could anyone believe that humans are not wayward and devious at the core? It takes so much effort to be good. It's second nature and a snap to act selfishly and destructively.

 

From the time of birth, you don't have to teach a baby to be selfish, bratty, and rebelious. He or she already knows. No...anything and everything good he or she must be taught: sharing, loving, and considering others.

 

well you're wrong, first of all.

 

you do teach a baby to be selfish bratty and rebellious.

 

in large parts of the US children learn to hate in church, while we're at it.

 

the most peaceful developed nations are the least religious, generally.

 

even in the US, the most peaceful states (going by crime statistics) are the least religious while the most religious states have the highest rates of crime.