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The Indisputable Evidence Box

I wholeheartedly endorse a justifiable amount of skepticism. I think that to whatever belief system you subscribe, it is important to occasionally look around and find all your emergency exits.

In economics, a phenomenon exists known as the endowment effect, which can be simplified to state that “people place a higher value on objects they own than on objects that they do not.” This concept extends nicely into human belief systems; it is often consciously easier for a person to discredit a competing belief, than to apply such scrutiny to their own beliefs. In effect, you continue rooting for your horse regardless of its position in the race.

Any scientist worth his/her weight in beakers will tell you that we don’t know anything for sure. Even the most studied and excepted theories have microscopic decimal of doubt. But this skepticism is an extremely important part of the scientific method and paves the way for scientific progression. Personal skepticism unfortunately doesn’t always meet with such rigor.

A good exercise in personal skepticism is the Indisputable Evidence Box. This is a strictly hypothetical test, but may fall under a “test of faith” category for some.

The Test

First, take a moment to gather into a fresh memory any belief to which you subscribe. This can be evolution, anti-vaccination, Socialism, Creationism, Christianity, Catholicism, Scientology, voodoo, Holocaust-denial, etc.

With this belief in mind, imagine that you are presented with a box. Within the box, there exists indisputable evidence AGAINST your strongly held belief. You are able to inspect and view everything within the box.

Now before going forward, I have to stress that I cannot over-exaggerate the extent or power of this evidence. Every single resulting hesitation, every single “what if” rebuttal with which you could respond, every facet and aspect of your belief is addressed and refuted with unequivocal certainty. You cannot dismiss the evidence itself; there is no lingering doubt about its legitimacy. The overwhelming and factually complete evidence leads to only a single absolute truth: that your belief is inaccurate and wrong.

Recalling that this is a hypothetical test, how would you respond given this situation? Would you abandon your beliefs, accepting a difficult period of personal detachment? Or would you choose to ignore the truth and hold on to your undeniably false beliefs, regressing into a self-diluting period of blissful ignorance?

Certain individuals may have difficulty exploring hypothetical situations that prod sensitive topics. There may be an initial response that attempts to discredit the box or the test itself. “This could never happen, so what’s the point?” Once again, as a hypothetical test, the point is to put yourself in an unlikely scenario to better understand and analyze your response.

Regardless of your answer, hopefully the test can bring to light your ability and willingness to maintain justifiable skepticism.

Desktop Goodies

Finally, a bonus for true skeptics: the official Indisputable Evidence Desktop Box! Build your own!

Thanks to cubeecraft.com

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