Why belief is the most powerful disruptor | Agustín Fuentes

Find food, have sex, not die. That’s pretty much all we need to do - but why do we make it so complicated?
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What is the capacity for belief in humans, and how does it shape our lives and interactions with the world? According to Agustin Fuentes, a professor of anthropology at Princeton University and author of ‘Why We Believe, Evolution and the Human Way of Being,’ the human capacity for belief is the most significant trait that sets us apart from other animals.
This capacity for belief, which importantly is not limited to religious belief, allows us to take our experiences and turn them into ideologies, lifestyles, and perceptions that we can commit to fully - thereby shaping our reality and the reality of future generations.
At its core, Fuentes explains, human belief is rooted in, and contingent on, our evolutionary history. Unlike other mammals, human infants are born with brains that are just 40% of their adult size. This extended childhood allows for constant social and environmental influence, which become the fabric of our being; beliefs even influence our biological make-up, from our gut microbiome to our hormones.
Read the full video transcript: bigthink.com/t...
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[@Ricardo7250]

Whoever is reading this, I hope you can find food, have sex and don't die today.

[@asifakram2293]

Instructions unclear, didnt get the sex

[@mrscruff66]

U gemm

[@benharmonics]

I got 2/3. Better luck tomorrow🤞

[@amifeeth]

That's quite a lot to accomplish in one day...

[@IsraelCountryCube]

I don't have a job I'm fed. to find food then sexual intercourse with a mate I don't have then not die?' yeah I'm doing horribl then

[@L_QTx3]

Whenever you see people depressed and just wanting to end everything, remember that they want to truly believe in the way others do

[@gangasagarransarje5873]

That's what they are calling purpose...you need work, you need purpose.

[@ShadowMantis702]

I’ve always thought - it’s not that suicidal people want to die, they just can’t find a reason to live

[@momchi98]

@@gangasagarransarje5873 Yes and no, purpose is needed, work is a great way to attain it. But not all work will give you purpose, some jobs take OUT the meaning of life and somehow those are the most looked down upon, stressful and low paying jobs which we still require to befilled with people. Funny how that works.

[@JimElford]

Thats one possibility. Another is they feel completely overwhelmed emotionally and see suicide as the only escape. Another is they feel so negative towards themselves they feel suicide is the only way to save everyone around them. There are other reasons.

[@momchi98]

@@JimElford Yes, both of which fall under the category of "wanting to truly believe in the way others do". Ain't it?

[@sadiqakhan277]

You are who you meet. Makes so much sense. Explains why i always felt like an outsider within my community.

[@birdsongs482]

I wish I could study Anthropology. Nothing captures my heart more than what the speaker here is talking about.

[@mohammadkhalili7562]

wow... I'm Persian and today is the first day of the new year (Nowruz) for us in Iran. I think I needed to watch this...

[@angelenaboden]

Now ruz mobarak. My daughters are half Persian. I am blessed.

[@akbarkhalaji9196]

ژووون

[@johnmurray3911]

Very interesting. Mostly agree as long as we also understand that there are some biological and genetic realities that define who we are and what we do. It isn't all belief and who we meet. Genetics and physical realities are extremely important in answering who I am.

[@Murasak3y]

Neither can be separated from another but there's a reason why people in similar environments tend to act similarly and hold the same beliefs. There's been too much nature and not enough nurture talk in discussing why humanity isn't doing so well in many departments. When people environment change, they change. We can't change folks nature so arguing that is pointless, but how can we put people in better environments so they have a chance to be the best version of themselves?

[@sarahfairchild399]

This is why I am enamored with all the parts of the human experience...

[@Domvelando]

4:38 absolutely insane editing choice there lolll

[@808stateofmind2]

Lmao this comment 💀💀💀

[@sanjanasingh098]

I always have this question, thanks for answering but I like to have more profound understanding of this, maybe your new book can help, looking forward to read it.

[@katyavictoriajoy]

Great! Thank you Agustin Fuentes.

[@kevwatts]

Amazing! I went through all the human emotions watching this! Definitely buying that book

[@The-Well]

Glad you liked it!

[@cristobalbownclavijo9291]

This is incredible! It is one of the most beautiful explanations of how beings interact with the universe

[@anywallsocket]

The complexities of the human experience cannot easily be understood technically from any single perspective, e.g., this view of ‘belief’ as a basis for behavior. But it is a nice slice of humanity, a facet which does reflect well throughout. We need to understand better the virility of ideology as a memetic component to life - the memeosphere as I call it, with respect to the ‘biosphere’. These ideologies do us as much justice as they do us harm, and we ought to learn why.

[@jerrygilbert4277]

I have been a big fan of memetics for a long time. It does a good job of explaining many things, particularly as it unites evolution with cognitive science.

[@anywallsocket]

@@jerrygilbert4277 Indeed! Personally i believe in universal Darwinism, so evolution unites everything for me, but specifically memetics has a way of making sense our relation with our internals and externals -- we are but idea catalysts.

[@tyranmcgrath6871]

Meme-osphere sounds funny. What is memetics?

[@anywallsocket]

@@tyranmcgrath6871 memetics is the study of memes, which is are ideas. more abstractly, they are informational patterns in space and time rather than physical patterns. yet interestingly, memetics realizes that memes spread, mutate, and replicate just like living things, and therefore analyzes how ideas evolve and devolve in a host population. capitalism is a meme itself, but it's also the locus of memetics if you think about it. the so called 'free market' is nothing but an evolutionary playground where the best memes win and the rest fizzle out. therefore people in media and politicians in particular are very interested in studying what makes an idea go viral.

[@MicahScottPnD]

Just to hear someone speak of memetics makes me feel better, like we're at least pointing in the right direction. Thanks for that!

[@Squirrel-zq6oe]

I have told people this! People have wars because their beliefs are different, and it is impossible to change beliefs without different experiences.

[@birenkumarg6663]

Big Think... This question is like To-Go-Back-To-Square ☺️☺️ Do you not think - Life is to explore and experience own way with own body. How many think Earth is like a ship or huge-plane or space-ship 😊. "Along with Earth we all do voyage in space" or "Earth takes us on voyage in space along with giving oxygen and other things where Sun & other planets help Earth in gliding in space" Life is not at all complicated, it is half-knowledge which makes unended complicated. For full-knowledge person, it is crystal clear. And many more.. Hoping to bring a series of talks on such issues ☺️

[@normancherry8732]

We take on a belief, what do we know about the belief's suitability to our need? regardless of whether we like the appearance of what the belief stands for, do we know if the belief holds value for us before we enter into believing in it? are we prone to running into dark caves we have no previous experience of and take the chance we'll be okay? Ultimately, do we know what we're truly looking for before we actually set out to look for it? not to be mistaken with what we might hope to find, true searching means knowing what our soul ultimately needs and desires, we need to find our own personal reality, we need to discern between what we think will make us happy and what we know we need for higher self fulfilment, while the one of these may take care of our present desire, the other is for the care of our perpetual need. So to find the right belief, it must become unique to us alone, non relative to any other known condition, extraordinary in its composition, previously unforeseen because we set on a new and rare journey to go beyond basic spiritual belief, since we're not seeking second hand knowledge taken from other sources of belief, but we're forming our own belief from our own experiences and knowledges which we gain along the way, there is no belief beyond our own which can ever wholly be anyone else's, no other system of belief will enhance us fully because it will have pieces of other people in it and unless we were to know indelibly that we shared everything perfectly with another, then we would not entirely be seeking our own belief.

[@Lizzymint]

I've always thought it strange that paper that's been printed on is worth something,I know it's because if you're told and enough people pass it on they start believing, I also have always realised how powerful belief is ,it's not always a good thing as we've seen in the history of the human race , it's odd...Ive always found it odd ,thank you for your talk I thoroughly enjoyed it

[@orchardgomez]

While the speaker effectively presents the problem and its effects, he doesn't offer any solutions. It would be helpful if he also addressed how to change a belief that is not serving the individual.

[@kuyab9122]

Buy the book?

[@MTurner504]

The key to a better live begins with making better choices throughout your day: SCENERIO: Your day starts with you getting out of bed and immediately you stub your toe really hard. From that moment you can make one of 2 choices.... CHOICE 1. is you experience that crappy moment and keep it to yourself and the pain will fade and the day isn't ruined due to a uncomfortable start. or CHOICE 2. In your uncomfortable emotional state, you choose to start texting people and posting online how upset you are you stubbed your toe along with other similar complaints you recall in your negative mindset. Throughout the day, you continually recall the uncomfortable emotions experienced due to the stubbed toe OVER AND OVER everytime you see the post or engagements from it or replies from the texts. Why chose to relive uncomfortable emotions endlessly when you could just 🎵LET IT GOOOOO ...LET IT GOOOO 🎵

[@blueoak116]

The majestic gift of reason just got swept under the bus of religion.

[@evilsoap7835]

Complexity should provide a better understanding of a subject or an increase of effectiveness (when a process). If added complexity does not achieve this, it becomes meaningless, confusing and unhelpful. The preference for complexity over simplicity, diversity over normality, and freedom of choice over freedom in determination are biases that arise from postmodern belief systems. While I support complexity, diversity, and freedom of choice, I believe they should be seen as steps towards achieving something, rather than an end in themselves.

[@laisa.]

Yes, beliefs, but why? What are thoughts? Why do we believe, apparently, one thought but not the next? What is the mechanism of thought? What are we? What is consciousness, are we conscious? Compared to what? No one can answer, everything is thought&belief, and the capacity to metacognize about ourselves as I do right now. It's all just pieces of the whole, put together in different ways, but the whole is the same regardless.

[@normancherry8732]

Your biggest questions should not be directed to others, in asking them of the answers, they will only give you additional answers to the ones they've already provided you with of which you've decided to believe in, what you need to do is to ask questions of yourself, e.g. what am I, why am I here, what does it mean to believe, are beliefs real, it isn't that you're not already asking such questions, it's just that you're asking the wrong sources, you're asking of others who are just giving you the perspectives of their own beliefs, everyone has opinions, but opinions are just personal reflections, no more relevant than anyone else's and once they've been aired, we're still left to decide for ourselves whether we agree with them or not, which means we make the final decision anyway, so is it really worth listening to others or can we trust enough in ourselves to provide our own knowledges and understanding? So enquire of yourself, look to discover your own reasoning processes, what difference is there between asking for someone else's answer and providing your own, the only difference I'd say there may be is that you'll almost certainly get a more instant answer from someone else, whereas if we ask ourself, the answer will need to be more well thought through and for this reason, I would say the better reply would be the well thought out one, wouldn't you?

[@Nooneself]

Brilliant insight. Although I love science, the most interesting belief system for me is when highly intelligent people believe that science is all good. They seem to have amnesia about nuclear bombs, biological weapons, chemical weapons, cluster bombs etc etc. Best Wishes

[@kuyab9122]

Who are these "highly intelligent people" that believe science is "all good"?

[@TaimazHavadar]

من واحد های شهر سازیم در دانشگاه و راهسازیم عالیترین ها بودند و خیلی خوب بودم تو همشون از طراحیه بی نقص زمان بندی و جاهای چراغها تا توپولوژی و ترپانتین ها و غیره 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@amanvijayjindal5742]

I have commented so that your video can come up in feed among zillion KZbin videos... Algorithm stuff

[@marsdriver2501]

I am doing the same thing!

[@jihadjafer8969]

Thank you ❤❤❤

[@The-Well]

Thanks for watching!

[@91722854]

not being determined at birth means potential after birth and growth can be so much more, beyond one's imagination

[@poshimukaka]

We stress ourselves forgetting the simple basics, everyone is trying to get this: Food Shelter Health Companionship (could be anything from people to hobbies) Zvimwe zvese yatova insecurity/nekuitiswa.

[@RogerLewis-ey2tt]

"The Power of Your Subconscious Mind", Dr. Joseph Murphy: the OG

[@naoussijonathan6899]

because WE need to seek perfection ans WE must attends it

[@MicahScottPnD]

My second time seeing this. It's loaded with excellent thoughts. Since the last time, i got wondering about two categories of people i haven't heard of before, so im making up names: anti-theists, and jesusians. Anti-theists would be people who flat out refuse the notion of higher being, different from atheists, who are "non"-believers in higher beings. Anti-theists make extra effort not to believe, and possibly even force the idea upon others. Jesusians are what im calling people who care about and follow or even love Jesus and his teachings without consideration of whether or not they apply to theology at all. Does anyone know these categories by names that already exist? I have to guess they do, i just haven't heard what they're called, maybe?

[@alexanderyap8831]

First time i didnt feel like clicking away from a video

[@beingsentient]

Interesting talk, much of which I agree with. I have a problem with the music. Why does the author believe it's necessary?

[@kuyab9122]

It's not necessarily from the author but the production of this channel.

[@nikolayboyadzhiev777]

The Well is my new favorite KZbin channel. I call it "The Well of Ideas". As to who we are, an opinion I encountered recently is that "you are what you experience, what you encounter and what are your genetics". What do you think, what is your opinion on the topic?

[@theperfectbotsteve4916]

i mean physically we are what we eat to

[@UltimateTruthsAndWorldviews]

so ideally, animals that do not have beliefs do not have conflicts? or our belief that the earth's resources are limited and not enough for everybody, not the reality that resources are indeed limited, motivates us to fight each other? or our beliefs really follow reality, not the other way around?

[@kuyab9122]

Animals have conflicts not because of belief but of survival necessity. Humans have beliefs that run counter to other humans therefore creating conflicts.

[@asifchoudhuryca]

Humans are blessed/cursed with the most complicated prefrontal cortex (not the largest brain, just that specific part of the brain) among species. That makes all the difference - the reason behind why-we-do-what-we-do in this universe.

[@purpur7187]

It's amazing how many people and animals were killed because of some kind of fictional fairy tales.

[@kuyab9122]

Are you referring to religion?

[@purpur7187]

@@kuyab9122 including

[@kuyab9122]

@@purpur7187 Alright

[@Amazology]

...we manipulate symbols and bamboozle ourselves and others

[@kdm313]

That’s going to be my retirement M/O. Run around find food have plenty sex and try not to die. Just keep it simple until it’s over.

[@estebanclouthier8521]

5:37 someone knows the name of the background song?

[@d3r4g45]

Your brain beliefs and identify is shaped by your surroundings. So much for there is no "lgbt propaganda", "one is born this way", "cannot hurt children".

[@monopolybillionaire5027]

No they aren't trying to turn people gay, they are just teaching them that there is people like that in the world. It's all about ending discrimination through education, imagine how scary it is for a young person to be attracted to the same sex and everyone around them family, friends etc is making them feel disgusted by themselves. It is evil to treat people like monsters, gay people can't make other people gay. It's only the straight people that give birth to a gay child. They don't ask to be born or be gay it's straight people who bring them to this world and then reject them like a stained t shirt. It's nobody's fault, not the parents, the TV, the culture, news, its just nature and you can find it in the animal kingdom (which we are part of) too.

[@stevoofd]

4:30 that's what my life is like fml

[@frankienieves5124]

Facts

[@yourmom9608]

Size of the brain depends on the ability or the need to collate information thats why the size of the brain of a toddler is big comparatively to his height and age. Size depends on the development of the sub conscious mind and collection of half baked information.Later as humans grow we tend to get answers by solving half baked questions thereby set of situational subjects are thrown into bin

[@samhitak6216]

Refreshing perspective to belief! I have a question. Can we borrow someone's belief qualia for a temporary period of time? Has technology been able to do this yet ?

[@mauriciocomesana1272]

Excellent video!

[@The-Well]

Glad you liked it!

[@ChaudhryRajinderNijjharJatt]

The last Supper called Eucharist or entering into the Bridal Chamber is the Baptism of Jesus in the Holy Spirit. Holy Gospel of our Supernatural Father Elohim, Allah, Parbrahm, etc., delivered by the First Anointed Christ, which in Punjabi we call Satguru Jesus

[@widiudb3313]

Wah keren banget

[@CIS-m8s]

If you understand a certain assumption, then a belief is nothing more than a fact with a different understanding of fact. For example, if you say "I am like Star Wars," without saying anything else, you might assume that they like the original trilogy by George Lucas. That might be true, but they are assuming a broad truth that doesn't account for the little details in that thought. Like, "I like Star Wars Rebels season 1 episode 1 at the 15:15 mark because of the animation of this character." This is an extremely more specified part of Star Wars that they "like." So when you say "I'm with the Republican or Democratic party," it would bring with it an assumption of logic and understanding without actually laying that foundation in a manner where either party is actually well represented accurately. This results in a response pertaining to the default answer of someone who doesn't understand what you meant, and suddenly any word you spoke next was completely misunderstood and the following conversation is nonsense. Now, if you know a person intricately enough, there is no need for assumption; they already understand what you mean and the context surrounding your words. But with a stranger, they may speak the same language, but without establishing your specific point of view and what you mean, any talking is pointless. Facts are muddled with opinion and feeling, and without establishing your unique borders of any, no one could possibly make sense of what you say even if they believe the same exact thing. Think my opinion on science and magic. I specifically think that they are the same by virtue of them both possessing the idea they understand the universe and its laws on an detailed level. Now don't think I BELIEVE in magic, rather i think it's about it's principle being the same in terms of goal and in some depictions of magic, its methodology.

[@FernandoVazquez-ro1nw]

This guy trying to say the same thing that has been said in more than 2000 years of philosophy.

[@The-Well]

Haha, fair--there's a reason we still read 2,000 year old philosophers like Aristotle and find they still have relevant advice today. Some questions and advice are timeless, even as they need to be adapted and applied to the time we actually live in.

[@zanewalsh1812]

4:40 if you want to reprogram yourself, you've got to reassess all of that 'culture' when you wake up (reborn) each day 🙏🏼 🌍🌎🌏🕊️ To us all ✨🌈🧘🏼‍♂️🌌

[@Callummullans]

I think how we see the world is as explorers that lead out on expeditions from the point of birth, I imagine little babies climbing mountains and stuff 😅😊

[@howardjuliewiley5629]

In Buddhism, we meditate on the transient nature of life.... birth, old age, sickness and death. Perhaps a meteor will once again wipe out all of life on the planet? Maybe? Or, perhaps the enlightenment of the majority of people on the planet ignites a movement of love and simplicity and we are able to change the tide of hatred and fear? I don't know. But, I do know, today, I can practice being present in the moment and love all that comes my way.

[@AA-qs4ju]

👏🏻

[@alexisleggeri3945]

That's pretty much a Western take on the Buddhist teachings of emptiness. And btw, most things are a belief in this world: money, all institutions, countries, races and so on. They have no existence independent from the human mind.

[@pronnoychowdhury8390]

Gave yuval noah harari vibes

[@Reivivus]

So basically people think that their reality is more real than their neighbor’s reality.

[@Blockah]

Once you shift the focus from relationship with God and others to: Evolutionary anything, the whole focus changes and it becomes self centered rather than what we can do for others. Big world of difference having morals with God, vs We are what we observe and there needs be no moral compass lol.

[@earthed_soul]

Agustin isn't female, with period blood, PMT/PMS/pregnancy/childbirthing/breastfeeding/histrocially the main childcarer/biologically-female menopausal and allllll of the ways in which the holders of XX biology are treated like second rate citizens so, although he may be feminine and possibly a male feminist, he would not even begin to comprehend the primordial Goddess, actually *being* female with all of the biological, hence emotional, hence historical communal/cultural/societal aspects of this i.e the suffering, violence, torture and murder under the historical patriarchy, i.e. the "I'll take your genitals and use rhem as I wish and want" entitlement of rape of adult females and children. Somewhere, Females, along with healed, higher consciousness males (who were very likely suffering longterm from child rape, along with simply higher consciousness males who would never hurt anyone as ot was in their very spiritual/psychic/empathic/metaphysical nature, gathered and talked.... Also with our feminine male, some LGBT, counterparts, we divided (broke ourselves down into all of these very urgently necessary different 'cultures' across the world, in order to literally survive (with perceived differences. ('Eve' - the female in society - was always going to be blamed, so we bit the other side of the apple ☯️, the 'appel' (French word for 'name' - the 'God energy/i Am/je suis/'jesus') and continued Royally/Spiritually-Politically/Celebritatious/Militarily created the new world for these millennia ahead where if you find it you'll see the prophecy that it shall be a 'feminine ending ♒ (the God energy/i Am/je suis/'jesus' initiative - the Essenes et al wrote the book about the Universal Spiritual Mystical very powerful energy, the 'God energy/i Am/je suis/'jesus', in the body of one fictionally-physical individual, the God energy/i Am/je suis/'jesus', and made it as a belief based in the Truth of this eternal/infinite energy). The feminine Age of Aquarius is now upon us ♒ and here we are ♾️🌌⚛️♒☯️♾️

[@noahhradek5426]

Because of technological teleology. Technology is becoming from the future. There intention and reason behind our technology. Evolution isn't the complete answer to human development. Focus on teleology.

[@rubeccawong7146]

Avril Lavigne wants to know as well

[@sashamoore9691]

Do y’all think trump will be incarcerated? I don’t think so.

[@yourmom9608]

Our fear of getting rejected either by humans or being defeated either by Mother Nature is the root cause

[@IsraelCountryCube]

Atheisms depressing ain't it?😊

[@derreckwalls7508]

No. Atheism is simply not believing in any of the innumerable superstitions about supernatural beings. It has nothing to do with whether a person has an optimistic or pessimistic perspective on life. In fact, not perceiving humanity as innately evil and not living my life in the constant fear of hell has made me a more caring, more fulfulled, and more moral (i.e., less prejudice) person that I ever was as a devout Christian. You are an "exclusive theist" or alternately a "selective atheist" when considering all the other proposed gods you don't believe in. It is only that "universal atheists" not only don't believe in the same gods you don't, but they avoid the hypocrisy of special pleading for one particular god that has no more validity or evidence than any of the others. I find atheism far less depressing than the religious abuse and trauma I suffered as a child, and as an adult it is undoubtedly less depressing than the destructive consequences of the psychologically horrific, unrealistic, self-contradictory tenets and scientifically disproved beliefs of most theistic religions. And quite frankly, I can't think of anything more depressing than the unfathomable death and destruction, even the complete annihilation of whole civilizations, because people believed in the absolute truth or superiority of their particular favorite diety while denying the reality or powers of all others. Atheism is not depressing, but the thought of theism "sure as hell" is. And more and more people are realizing not only how dangerous an absolutist theistic mindset is, but also how obsolete and irrelevant ancient superstitions are in understanding ourselves and the world around us. Maybe it will be the death of theism and its innately contentious beliefs that allows humanity to finally live in harmony. Not as an atheist, but as an optimistic nihilist and pragmatic humanist I will strive to make that happen.

[@cristianmarcu7262]

@@derreckwalls7508 Couldn't more agree ! Hats off, big like !

[@derreckwalls7508]

@@cristianmarcu7262 Thanks! 😊 It's admittedly one of my better post, but after suffering years of almost suicidal depression because of religious trauma, nothing upsets me more than to have my anguish trivialized by the very people who caused it. I was furious when I wrote this, and very motivated not to let such an ignorant and insensitive comment go uncontested. Thanks again for the like, but it truly is sad that you, or anyone else, can relate to my comment at all.

[@juliusfishman7222]

@@derreckwalls7508 that good for you, most atheist I know I depressed lack purpose in life and believe everything is meaningless, I am a Christian and I do not fear he’ll or live in any constant fear or trauma it’s because of how your childhood/family exposed you to religion. Personally for me I barely think about things like that religion had guided my morals, given me peace of mind as you atheist will say sky daddy is watching me at my weakest point. It has given me community and a clear meaning of life wouldn’t have it any other way. And being a Christian has never stopped me from loving science and the way the world works scientifically. I believe the theory of evolution and am very interested in space and reaching other planets to find life, but I guess due to environment people connect to these thing’s differently personally I was never forced by my parents into religions and was exposed to different family members with different religions as a kid so I don’t particular hate other people just because of their religion anyway just wanted to say that not every Christian is living a life of constant fear and trauma like you described.

[@derreckwalls7508]

@@juliusfishman7222 Purpose and Depression - I've known plenty of both Christians and atheists, and with the exception of worshiping a god they both seem to have the same purposes in life and the same morals. Unless someone explicitly expresses their religious beliefs or engages in religious activities there is no way to distinguish an atheist from a theist in their everyday life. There are Christians in prison and atheists who volunteer for charities, and vice versa. I find it difficult to believe that people of other religions such a Hinduism, or non-theistic devotions such as Buddhism, find no purpose in life or are more depressed than Christians. Personal Experience - I've had two very different experiences with Christianity. As a child I was taken to a "hellfire and damnation" evangelical, fundamentalist, Independent Baptist church where they performed frightening rituals in an attempt to exorcise my demons, because I would sometimes get fascinated by the simplest things and I would flap my hands and bob my head. The clapping and dancing and shouts of "hallelujah" during the services aggravated my anxiety and sometimes made me cry... another sign of my possession. My parents divorced when I was 8yrs old and my mom took me to my grandmother's Presbyterian church. It was wonderful! The services were reverent and the people were very personable, and one of the members was a pediatrician who suggested to my mom that I be tested for autism. Diagnosis: moderate autism, not demonic possession. Science and Religion - I also studied the Bible and religion in college, so I am very familiar with the diversity of Christian beliefs. I even had a professor who wrote a book about how science are religion are perfectly compatible. [Science and Religion, in Search of Cosmic Purpose: John F. Haught]. Like you, the majority of Christians have no conflict with science. It is only the literalists - almost exclusively the creationists - that do. They are usually the target of the atheists' criticism. Community and Belonging - I belong to several hobby groups (Adult Fans of LEGO, Craft Woodworking, an Epicurean Club) and activity groups (a hiking group, a 4x4 club, etc.) I give classes at the nature center on how to make your backyard 'wildlife friendly'. I have met several friends there, and a few of them are humans. I have no lack of community, and my community includes a diversity of religions, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, education, political affiliations, income brackets, etc., which is not usually the case in any single church congregation. I think maybe you have partially fallen victim to the same indoctrinated mindset that had been preached to me in my childhood fundamentalist church: that everyone else is immoral and miserable. That's not the case. On the contrary, the World Happiness Report studies show that the least religious countries have the happiest people. That may well be because those countries have a strong sense of community in their secular lives and don't need a religion to find belonging. I have a much greater sense of belonging as an atheist by being a member of humanity than I ever did from being a member of a church. Every year my Hindu neighbor invites me to his Diwali celebration (pronounced dee-'vah-lee) and I always have a wonderful time. I would never have dared to go as a Christian for fear of being "led astray". I'm glad that you feel you get so many benefits from your religion, but those benefits are not exclusive to Christianity. There are other ways to experience the same sense of purpose, of morality, of community, without the belief in any particular diety or theology. We all find our own ways of fulfillment, and if you find it in religion that's wonderful. I, like most atheists, simply don't think that belief in the supernatural is the best way to perceived and understand reality, or to evaluate our relationships. And many religions have beliefs that are not psychologically healthy and may even be, for some people, extremely detrimental. Even the liberal Presbyterians have a Calvinist doctrine with an uncomfortably skewed perspective of humanity. So my point is that it is a misconception, closer to religious propaganda, that atheists are less fulfilled or less moral than Christians. The facts simply don't support that bias.

[@prashanttiwari5736]

this reminds me of nihilism

[@stevoofd]

Çeci n'est pas une pipe

[@robot7759]

Yup, you are who you meat with, hence vegetarians 😏

[@iamstartower]

believing is wrong...

[@da_copreee9929]

that's ur belief

[@env0x]

@@angganarotama that's ur belief to believe that he believes that it's his belief