- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
I just finished reading an interesting book about Cognition Traps people experience when they try to solve problems or deal with the world. Here are the ones covered in the book (which was a good read – I recommend it). I’ll also include an example that might apply to this from the church: Exposure Anxiety. Use of excessive force to appear tough enough. People do this when they feel insecure about their credibility, power or authority. I think an example of this could be when an uber-orthodox local leader feels a need to “crack down” on those they view as not orthodox enough. The hidden risks are: people like this are easily manipulated, this behaviour alienates potential allies and supporters, and it can also make people less likely to cooperate with the authority if there is “zero tolerance” for anything less than total cooperation (which is unrealistic for most). Causefusion. Misunderstanding the causes of complex issues. People do this when they are impatient with analysis; they want a simple, fast solution rather than dealing with complexity. For example, people who state that you’ll be successful on a mission if you obey the rules are suffering from causefusion, IMO. The real cause of conversion is not tied to those specific actions although lack of obedience could be an obstacle in some cases. The risks are solutions that are not on point. Flatview. This is black and white thinking, the idea that everyone is either “for” or “against” us. The underlying cause is a lack of empathy (ability to feel as others feel) or lack of imagination (the ability to think in new ways). Examples in the church are numerous, but I suspect this is behind the all or nothing paradigm that people like to throw out there as well as the stereotypes applied to people who leave the church or go inactive. Risks include creating enemies by misinterpreting the motives of others in unflattering ways. Cure-allism. This is applying a single solution universally to every problem. Underneath it is lazy assessment of individual categorization – where people or situations fit in the group, assuming they are all the same. An example might be telling people that praying & reading scriptures is the answer to every problem. The risk of this cognition trap is poor solutions that result in resentment. Infomania. The book identifies two different types: infomisering (hoarding knowledge from others), and infovoiding (avoiding contradictory facts). The underlying cause is a desire to maintain control and a paranoia about what others will do with the information if they have it. Essentially, it’s a low trust mechanism. An example in the church might be correlation when taken to an extreme, white-washing history, or taking polygamy off the table for discussion. The risk of this infovoiders and infomisers fooling themselves into believing extreme viewpoints.
Mirror Imaging. This is when people assume others’ motives and beliefs are all the same as their own. It’s caused by not questioning assumptions. An example might be a judgmental person hiding things because they assume others will judge them. The risk is alienating others and creating solutions that don’t meet human needs. Static Cling. This is refusal to accept changing circumstances or people. The underlying cause is insecurity about risk-taking, complacency, and over-investment in the status quo. Examples could be the priesthood ban and the use of patriarchal language, especially by older generations. The risk is that people use face-saving tactics to hide the truth, or they create an environment of infighting within the organization. Additionally, they may be viewed as uncompetitive until it’s too late. Anyway, the book used a lot of political examples, none of them were religious. These were just a few thoughts I had based on discussions on line with people. Any insights?
I’ve seen the following in droves:
Quote:
Exposure Anxiety. Use of excessive force to appear tough enough. People do this when they feel insecure about their credibility, power or authority. I think an example of this could be when an uber-orthodox local leader feels a need to “crack down” on those they view as not orthodox enough. The hidden risks are: people like this are easily manipulated, this behaviour alienates potential allies and supporters, and it can also make people less likely to cooperate with the authority if there is “zero tolerance” for anything less than total cooperation (which is unrealistic for most). Causefusion. Misunderstanding the causes of complex issues. People do this when they are impatient with analysis; they want a simple, fast solution rather than dealing with complexity. For example, people who state that you’ll be successful on a mission if you obey the rules are suffering from causefusion, IMO. The real cause of conversion is not tied to those specific actions although lack of obedience could be an obstacle in some cases. The risks are solutions that are not on point. Flatview. This is black and white thinking, the idea that everyone is either “for” or “against” us. The underlying cause is a lack of empathy (ability to feel as others feel) or lack of imagination (the ability to think in new ways). Examples in the church are numerous, but I suspect this is behind the all or nothing paradigm that people like to throw out there as well as the stereotypes applied to people who leave the church or go inactive. Risks include creating enemies by misinterpreting the motives of others in unflattering ways. Cure-allism. This is applying a single solution universally to every problem. Underneath it is lazy assessment of individual categorization – where people or situations fit in the group, assuming they are all the same. An example might be telling people that praying & reading scriptures is the answer to every problem. The risk of this cognition trap is poor solutions that result in resentment. Infomania. The book identifies two different types: infomisering (hoarding knowledge from others), and infovoiding (avoiding contradictory facts). The underlying cause is a desire to maintain control and a paranoia about what others will do with the information if they have it. Essentially, it’s a low trust mechanism. An example in the church might be correlation when taken to an extreme, white-washing history, or taking polygamy off the table for discussion. The risk of this infovoiders and infomisers fooling themselves into believing extreme viewpoints. I think Cureallism is the the most prevalent…people are notorious for boiling down the complexity of life into a few “do’s”, which if followed, will ensure some kind of success. “As long as you have a TR, you’ll be find at the last day”. “Hold family home evening and family prayer and your family will stay on the path to righteousness”. “The mother’s place is in the home”.
I think people turn to religion because the world is such a complex place where the good and bad happen to everyone, often randomly and without a clear cause. So, people turn to religion for the answers. And religion, which is often no more adept at explaining the complexities of life than academic or scientific knowledge, invents simple answers so pacify others. And many swallow it all hook, line and sinker.
By the way — Mirror Imaging sounds a lot like Freud’s “Projection”. That is where you have some behavior which is threatening or anxiety-producing So, when you do, is you start seeing it in everyone around you, which relieves the anxiety.
SilentDawning wrote:I think Cureallism is the the most prevalent…people are notorious for boiling down the complexity of life into a few “do’s”, which if followed, will ensure some kind of success. “As long as you have a TR, you’ll be find at the last day”. “Hold family home evening and family prayer and your family will stay on the path to righteousness”. “The mother’s place is in the home”.
During a lesson the instructor asked what the meaning of the word “Panacea” was. I explained that it meant cure-all and was usually found in the context of “X is not a panacea,” since cure-alls don’t seem to exist.
He then proceeded to read the manual out loud where it stated that the Gospel was the panacea that the world was hungering for…. I felt sheepish.
😳 But is it really what the world is hungering for? I’m not so sure anymore. There are grandiose statements that you can’t be happy without the gospel, keeping the Mormon version of the commandments — but is it really so? I have tried the Mormon textbook method of happiness and it has not worked….it makes good press to say it is the cure-all for all ills, but I’m not sure it’s that simple anymore…
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.