Do you automatically trust in the experts when information comes you? What I mean by ‘expert’ is the person with the PHD because you may believe that they know more than you, the police officer because you believe that they can protect you, the bus drivers because they know where they are going. That internet passage on the existence of God should totally be believable, so you don’t have to think too much about it. Don’t think for yourself, have the information provided for you. Take it, eat it, just don’t think about it. That is how the media feeds us everyday. Feeding us fear, desire, and emotion for us to consume.
You need to learn to trust in yourself and in your heart before trusting logic. Logic is only worth something when we put a value to it with our hearts. But logic can never put value to our hearts.
What makes someone an expert has to be more than just a paper saying ‘doctor’ or ‘teacher’, learn to trust yourself before others!
An example to demonstrate what I mean is the controversial Milgram Experiment, testing people’s obedience to authority. The people automatically trust the person in the white coat because of course, he ‘knows’ more…
When this experiment was first done in 1961 in the USA, the shocking results show that ‘65% of the volunteers continued to play their part as ‘teacher’ right to 450 volts, even after the victim’s screams and silence…In Munich, it was 85%…In other words, 3 out of 4 men will be ready to torture and kill to order without questioning’. Is this all for the name of science?
‘ this experiment shows – to the point where established anonymous authorities like ‘the state’, ‘science’, or even ‘the revolution’ can make everything legitimate by the way of a rubber stamp, white coat or armband’.
Another example is that how everything in the diet fitness world is so ‘factual’. In order to build a load of muscle, of course you need excess calories and you need to use very high weights for lower reps. Eugen Sandow, a Victorian bodybuilder (pictured below), apparently used to train with only 5lb dumbbells in the morning, and stated ‘I am myself no believer in a special diet, still less in a rigid one, as necessary while training…I endeavour to have my meals at regular hours, and prefer that they shall be simple and easy of digestion.’
Just because a fitness trainer claims this and that or a dietitian promotes a new bar that can turn you around overnight and makes you forget that nature (fruit and vegetables) exist. Or the ones who claim that fruit will turn into fat if you don’t burn it off. Really? Find what works for you, and sticking to nature won’t let you down (as cliche as it may sound).
In conclusion, analyse information, (whether it’s on the news, in a book or said by the president), don’t just digest it. You are a free being.
Our Beautiful Souls 
So so so true! Learnt about milgrim in psychology and was shocked by the results! Love your blog xxx
Thank you! I might be taking psychology next year, what sort of things do you do? Would you recommend it? 🙂
I do psych AQA A level and for the first year we learnt about how our memory works, why we form attachments, why we conform and what’s stress. All of the topics are looked into much greater detail obviously but it’s been really eyeopening! Definitely recommend thinking about it!
Sound alright, I am just thinking to pick between psychology or sociology so hope I make the right decision!
I did sociology at GCSE and loved it! Even more than psychology. But you’ll know, when the time comes you will make the best decision for you
That’s right, the better thing will happen, thanks for your advice! 😀