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Some people will allow their feelings to dominate their reason. They just feel they "KNOW" that something is true! No amount of rational reason, even if it is backed up with proof, can dissuade them from their certainty.
An incredible example of this occurred when I was at Cal State University at LA in the late 1960s. I had a conversation with a young woman. She was telling me about herself, and about her use of illegal drugs. She said:
"Did you know that if you take LSD, you can start driving a car in the evening with only 1/4 tank of gas in it, and drive all night long, and still have 1/4 tank of gas in the morning?
No amount of reasoning or logic that I presented could change her mind. Her response was always, "I don't know why it is so, but it is true." Obviously she was a fool (probably because of damage she had done to her brain by taking illegal drugs).
This absolute certainty in something impossible is a known effect of drug use. Another example is the firm belief that one can fly, resulting in jumping off of a roof! (Splat!!!)
THE EGOCENTRIC THINKER - - - I have seen this same kind of absolute certainty in other people who do not take drugs. No amount of argument can change their minds, even when what they assert is outrageously wrong! They will steadfastly stick with their belief, and deny or discount what you say, or will simply ignore your arguments. A way to "escape" having to deal with being wrong is to ignore arguments! This kind of thinking even has a name. It is called egocentric thinking.
The egocentric thinker's basic belief is what they "know" in their own mind is the one and only absolute truth! Given that belief, then by definition, any argument that disagrees with their thinking is "obviously wrong"! Hence, they are free to disregard it! (They are also free to remain ignorant or incorrect!)
When we put too much emphasis upon what we "feel" we know, then we are being foolish. We mistake "feeling" for "knowing." It is the thinking mechanism that is foolish! Your idea can be correct, but the way you came to it can still be foolish!
Never allow a feeling of certainty to get in the way of reason.
Always allow for a degree of uncertainty to reside in your mind. It should be just enough to keep you on the alert and open for evidence that proves you are wrong. But guard against having so much uncertainty that you are prevented from taking needed action. As in so much of life, a good balance is important. (See "Life is ... ")
To overcome a feeling of certainty you have about something, you can think like this:
- I feel this is true.
- I am a human therefore I am capable of being wrong.
- A feeling is not reliable.
- A feeling can lead me away from the truth.
- I want to actually be correct in this, so I need proof.
- Can I come up with OBJECTIVE evidence that it is NOT true?
- Can I come up with OBJECTIVE evidence that it is true? If I can't, then I should look for a different "truth!
The really difficult thing in the above steps is the idea of OBJECTIVITY! This is where a person's feelings can get in the way again. The feeling that it is true produces a strong tendency to only see evidence that it is true. This is where a conscious degree of uncertainty is helpful.