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Why you think you're right — even if you're wrong

Lesson created by Emilie Soffe using TED-Ed's lesson creatorVideo from TED YouTube channel

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Perspective is everything, especially when it comes to examining your beliefs. Are you a soldier, prone to defending your viewpoint at all costs — or a scout, spurred by curiosity? Julia Galef examines the motivations behind these two mindsets and how they shape the way we interpret information, interweaved with a compelling history lesson from 19th-century France.

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Avatar for Meli Diaz
Lesson in progress

What about religion?

I have found this talk very interesting. And then a question comes to mind: what about making decisions based on religious beliefs? They usually are not only strong, but also kind of impossible to discuss, because then everything comes to the same end: faith. Many people make decisions based on what God wants or says, and it also affects politics and our social lives.

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Avatar for Ningbo Zhang
Lesson completed

in response to Farhad Deylami Azodi Show comment

i have the same opinion with you.


Avatar for Yuchuan Yang
Lesson in progress

is what mind be like


Avatar for Ridwan Marqas
Lesson in progress

As i can see such speech as you mentioned and she said already is most about daily life or social life but its also can be applied on what we believe or religion additionally on political also but still i think analyse all of it so that be scout mind to see if its possible to applied on religion and politics


Avatar for Rafael Faustino
Lesson in progress

in response to Dr Pam Halton Show comment

But does it mean that we should let go of all the paradigms and dogmas we cling to? Or is there a way to still believe in what we believe and, at the same time, altruistically learn to accept other's perspective? I wish to know if this is possible, and if it is, is it a virtuous act because I feel like this is what I've been doing and the religious beliefs that my ancestry has ingrained in me is really difficult to set aside.


Avatar for Novi Arberor
Lesson in progress

religion is the easiest way for people to handle life,
they dont need to think about anything by their own.,
they just follow, and somehow its working nicely for many people while at the same time its the best way to manipulate people with lack of knowledge or in big needy situations ,
either way if you remove the whole (god) idea all it remains is love and unity,
one day we will understand that we dont need laws or religions to tell us whats good or bad,
or even how we are supposed to live,
and thats because we always knew through our emotions what feels right or wrong.
the problem comes only when we adopt parts of a simple truth and make with it complex and divided stories that leads people in different ways.
religion is not a dangerous thing,
on the right hands it can bring global peace,
or total destruction..
it depends on how you use it,
the real problem is not the religion,
the real problem is that we still need to believe rather than knowing


Avatar for Sukoon Sarang
Lesson in progress

Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam said that Religion is a way of making friends for a great men and for a small men it is a fighting tool.


Avatar for Aaron Israel
Lesson in progress

I enjoyed this talk as well. I think that you have to examine religion using an evidence-based approach. You have to examine the evidence pertinent to the existence or non-existence of a deity, and you have to look at the evidence supporting the core claims of the different religions and compare them. I think the evidence shows pretty clearly that the existence of some sort of supernatural power is the best explanation for our existence. Then you look at religions. Either they are all false or one is true. When you compare religions, Christianity enjoys a wealth of evidence that other religions do not. Hence, the best explanation of reality would seem to be Christianity.


Avatar for Meli Diaz
Lesson in progress

Thanks for commenting, I see we agree on this: definitely people with religious beliefs need to be flexible, in order to have a scout mindset. Usually, most religions ask their followers to have a soldier mindset... Like being flexible about their dogmas would be the worst thing ever


Avatar for Shizhou Bey
Lesson in progress

I also find out that religious belief have a very strong strength to drive you to do something that make a big difference to our social lives, but if you can use a scout -minded thinking to make decision in lives(with the combination of religious beliefs)then the strength will be far more powerful and effective!!


Avatar for Benjamin Gross
Lesson in progress

"The mind is like a parachute; it only functions when open."

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