Do You Hold Beliefs That Don't Match Reality? Come and Find out - Crony Beliefs

I came across an incredible article the other day.

It started by asking:

Why do people believe Bill Gates created the Coronavirus?

Why do some people think that Black Lives don't matter?

(I might have added the second one here... )

"The government created the vaccine to implant a tracking microchip."

"The Queen has died 3 times already and was replaced each time."

All those are things you've heard before, in FOX news, from random strangers, and yes, probably from some of your friends too.

It's wild out there.

Yet, we all have the same brain. Those are not people that are stuck on another planet or have different brain composure.

So whatever they say, must be in you.

Hmm, that means that you have some wild opinions as well which others find disturbing, and some of them are likely to be out of touch with reality.

But do you know about them?

Our Beliefs as Factory Workers

So let's take an example that makes it easier to understand.

Take your beliefs as factory workers.

If the belief does a good job he can stay and if not he's fired.

Example.

You try to pet a lion in the zoo. Bad idea. You most definitely get your hand ripped off.

Bad belief, fired

It's -5°C out there and you cover yourself up so you don't freeze to death.

Good belief, hired

But, there are 2 kinds of beliefs.

The purpose of this example was to show you one of them. The ones that make us survive on this earth. The belief that allows you to go out and not die of the cold, or not put your hand into the blender.

Then we have the crony beliefs. Beliefs that facilitate our day-to-day life. And that's where it gets interesting.

The Crony Belief

Our brains are not configured to always look out for the truth, but to act in our favor. And once you understand this, the rest is self-explanatory.

Okay, I admit, I didn't get it at first, so I shouldn't say it is self-explanatory. But once you fully read this article, things become clear to you.

Let me explain.

As we just saw, we have a set of beliefs that is fully aligned with reality, because otherwise, we wouldn't be here anymore - the survival beliefs.

But crony beliefs manipulate reality. They inaccurately model the world.

Let's see what they look like.

So back to the factory workers.

Kevin Simler, the author of the article, transforms the crony belief into another factory worker.

Let's call him Jim.

You only hired Jim, because your factory operates in a city where every company has to employ a friend of the governor, to get a working license.

If you don't hire him, no business. It's shady, but that is the requirement.

So if you want to keep doing business, you better hire Jimmy.

Even though Jim is not doing anything, he cannot get fired.

The problem here is, after 8 months or so, he just looks like every other employee. He is fully integrated into the company, even though he's not doing any real work. He sits around, drinks coffee, schedules pointless meetings, and so on.

You could mistake him for a normal employee.

The moral of this example is that there are so many crazy beliefs out there, not for modeling the world correctly, but for social and political benefits. And after time passes, you start forgetting about their accuracy.

But, the keyword here is benefits.

Only parts of the brain pick up beliefs that are aligned with the truth, remember?

The purpose of a crony belief is to bring the greatest number of peers and protectors.

When you're on a date and you want to get along with the person in front of you, you adjust your views to connect. You follow your desire.

If you can get a reward from a specific belief, your brain is happy to take it.

Even though you think differently at first, when that belief can get you what you desire, in this case getting closer to that person, you will probably keep that belief with you.

Quick Reminder:

Crony Belief: We measure beliefs not for accuracy, but for impression and reproduction

Meritocracy: We closely monitor beliefs for accuracy, to survive in the real world.

A more extreme example would be Cronyism under the regime of Dictators.

If you don't fall in line, you can end up dead. No benefit in resistance, only danger.

To survive, many people adopt the belief that is communicated.

This also happens at the organization you're working for. You will get a reward if you believe good things about the company.

In politics, if you align with the beliefs of a specific party, you will get the support that you need.

There are numerous other examples, but I think you get the picture.

Conclusion

So, here are other reasons why people hold crony beliefs and why you do the same:

• Blending In - Fall in line with an opinion to adjust to the environment (Dictator environment)
• Stick out - Hold beliefs to show that you're an independent thinker
• Show off - Beliefs that make you seem smart
• Sucking Up - Saying YES, to show loyalty or to flatter someone (parents, boss, or other authorities)

This explains so much.

The endless arguments people have about the most obvious things.

Your environment and the people around you have a big impact on your beliefs, but if you become aware of what the brain takes in, you can start firing the Jimmys.

Let me know what you think about that concept, and if you want it in greater detail, here is the original article: https://meltingasphalt.com/crony-beliefs/