If It
Isn't Stupidity or Arrogance, What Is It?
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Posted: 20 Jul 2012 03:22 PM
PDT
I JUST FINISHED a book
called The Invisible Gorilla. The authors do
research into the different ways people can (and do) misperceive and
misinterpret the world around them. The title of the book refers to one of
the authors' experiments, which you can see on YouTube (one
minute and twenty-two seconds long). The invisible gorilla is the most famous
experiment in psychology.
The final paragraph of their book is a message all of us in the counterjihad movement should take to heart. When we can't get through to people, the easiest and most natural thing to decide is that our listener is stupid or blind or a self-righteous moron. But even when you think this, don't you sometimes have the feeling that your conclusion isn't quite right? And it seems to me that if you had a better way to interpret your failure to get through, it might change your attitude and your approach to these interactions, and that would make a difference in how successful you are next time you share with someone what you're learning about orthodox Islam. These were the closing words of The Invisible Gorilla:
“When you think about the world with an
awareness of everyday illusions, you won't be as sure of yourself as you used
to be, but you will have new insights into how your mind works, and new ways
of understanding why people act the way they do. Often, it's not because of
stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, or lack of focus. It's because of the
everyday illusions that affect us all. Our final hope is that you will always
consider this possibility before you jump to a harsher conclusion.”
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