Most people think so They are free-spirited And want others Perceive them as such. But for the most important things—religious faith, for example, or the meaning of life—few of us are willing to consider it We may be wrongLet alone the hard work of faith correction. At a basic level, we humans are somewhat closed-minded.
as A social psychologistI research big questions, such as what Makes life meaningful And The nature of humility. I have long had an interest in why people are so resistant to changing their cherished core beliefs. After all, isn’t it It’s best to keep an open mind When can you be wrong or never know for sure?
As decades of research have revealed, it turns out that our deepest convictions Serving important psychological functions Which makes them difficult to change. It’s uncomfortable to admit that our core beliefs about how the world works may be wrong.
I call that openness”existential humility”: being willing to change our minds about our deepest convictions when presented with new evidence. And while holding on to beliefs in this way can be difficult, it can be a bridge to building stronger relationships and more inclusive communities.
The power of worldview
We all have countless beliefs that range from the mundane to the sublime. “Is pineapple a legitimate pizza topping?” “Is there life after death?” Very different from? Yet these seemingly disparate beliefs are connected through an interlocking set of ideas and principles that help us make sense of ourselves and the world around us.
Psychologists call these sets of beliefs “worldviews.”,” and they provide people with a sense of meaning In an otherwise confusing and chaotic world. They are a constellation of beliefs about what people value, see as important, and perceive as morally right and wrong.
It’s normal Taking worldviews for grantedAssumes that other intelligent people see the world the same way.
At the core of this worldview are your most cherished beliefs: who you are, what life means, what constitutes right and wrong. Ask yourself how willing you are to correct these beliefs. How sure are you that you are right? What would it take to change these beliefs?
Probably a lot.
Cost of questioning
By answering these Big, existential questionsYou can see the world Help manage anxiety. Confidence helps people get through the day. For example, Belief in the afterlife Can defeat the fear of death, because it denies that death is the end of existence.
On the other hand, lack of certainty allows existential anxiety to creep in.
In 2022, my colleagues and I presented research participants with a list of existential issues and asked them Reflect what they believe. We asked them to rate how committed they were to their beliefs and how open they were to change.
Next, participants rated their anxiety and well-being. For example, they rated how much sense of meaning and purpose they had in their own lives and how much peace, if any, they got from religion.
Across several studies, including college students, adults, and those who were significantly revising their religious beliefs, we found that core beliefs are open to change. Often comes a cost for their well-being. For example, higher existential humility was associated with higher anxiety about death and lower sense of meaning in life.
2 core requirements
This research speaks to a broader paradox Two of humanity’s deepest, and seemingly competing, motivations: certainty and curiosity. Both involve trade offs.
On the one hand, people crave certainty, which provides security. It’s nice to believe that you have answers to deep and consequential questions.
The downside of assertiveness is that it often breeds intolerance: people can be so sure that they are right that they leave no room for other people’s points of view. Belief becomes a Zero sum game.
even The mere existence of alternative perspectives Can feel threatening to some people with strong beliefs. To regain confidence in our own opinions, we can try to convince other people to change their minds, simply discount their views, or try to discard their worldviews altogether. Sadly, violence often stems from desire Protect ideological beliefs.
On the other hand, people also desire growth. Curiosity drives people to new discoveries and keeps them open to changing their minds, if they encounter strong enough evidence to do so.
But when this is open Makes people tolerantIt can do them prone to anxiety.
In other words, holding onto security about important beliefs provides interpersonal benefits: the person who holds these beliefs feels a stronger sense of meaning and security. But this comes at an interpersonal cost: less tolerance for other people’s perspectives.
Conversely, a growth-focused openness makes people more tolerant and generous but can come along Psychological costs.
why and how
My research exploring existential humility provides critical insight into why it is so difficult for people to change their minds.
Because people’s worldviews consist of interlocking beliefs, admitting that they were wrong about something small means that they might be wrong about something big. Rather than having to face that concern, people often do Double down on defensiveness.
Existential humility benefits other people in one’s life, from friends and neighbors to strangers. But it can take a psychological toll, and many people see these costs as too steep.
Given the benefits, though, I believe those costs carrying value.
Friedrich Nietzsche can offer wisdom here. “In the twilight of idols,” asserted the philosopher, “he who has reason to live can endure almost any means.” The “why” of existential humility, I would argue, is to be a better neighbor, an active participant in making this world a more loving place.
How for? practice
There is no quick fix to becoming more open-minded. It requires developing a tolerance for the painful feelings that can come with uncertainty. Over time, people adapt, becoming more comfortable holding beliefs despite the possibility that they are wrong. We make peace with uncertainty – we make friends with this tension.
Existential humility is hard to live by, but I believe society needs it more than ever. Committing to practice this virtue can transform us and our communities. And it seems worth it to me.
Daryl Van TongerenProfessor of Psychology, Hope College
Reprinted from this article the conversation Under Creative Commons license. read on Main article.
