Is My Head Stuck in the Sand? It’s too dark to tell…
Reflecting on ideologies is a little bit like reflecting on water when you’re a fish. The ideologies we ascribe to are often simply a part of our everyday lives and hard to notice unless we stop and think critically about them. As I began to think about modern ideologies, I realized that even the ability to sit and think about an ideology was a particular way of thinking. Because of my history, culture, and place in time, I have been tremendously blessed to determine to accept or reject many of the modern ideologies that are available to me as a Western thinker. Rather than simply adopting ideologies, I can ascribe to them or reject them. This notion that I have agency and can determine these things is part of Western thought and the Enlightenment. The belief that an individual can determine their own course of action through life based on their own intellect and efforts. This ideology has been relatively unchecked in my life because of the culture and position that I am in. But along with this ideology, I’ve also become aware along the way that not every person from every culture or place has the same opportunities that I have. This belief comes with a responsibility, then. I remember my parents impressing this truth upon me from Scripture, “to whom much is given, much is required.”[1] They were developing an ideology for me that I had been blessed with much and that I knew had the responsibility to serve others from that abundance.
This ideology has dovetailed seamlessly into a life of service. Whether a teacher or a pastor, a parent or a friend, my desire has been to serve others out of the abundance of what I’ve been given. I think that our ideologies can give us a sense of security and purpose in the world and therefore can be very important to us and we can be protective of them. The words of Jesus have deeply resonated and shaped the ideologies of my life: “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”[2] As a follower of Jesus, I’ve chosen to align my life with His life, His Way with my way. Jesus ultimately shapes my ideologies.
Saad’s book on The Parasitic Mind helped confirmed the importance and gift of the ideologies I was given from my family of origin and from Scripture. There were based on models of absolute truth that were not based on circumstance or subjective experience. However, personal experience, questioning, and courage to explore and seek the truth were also encouraged. This is consistent with Saad’s perspective on both the problems of postmodern cultural movements and ideologies that seek to dismantle belief in absolute truth or communal ideals. These “pathogens” are destructive ideas because the immune system of the ideology is not healthy enough to resist them. Saad states that, “humans are cerebral misers; namely they are too intellectually lazy to collect the relevant information on a given issue and instead prefer to form opinions while expending as little mental effort as possible.”[3] The healthy ideologies I believe I was given gave me a healthy core and foundation with which to combat unhealthy or parasitic ideas. While some have had more influence on me than others, continuing education, learning, relationships with people from lots of different perspectives, and ultimately, the Holy Spirit, have continued to transform and strengthen my ideologies that enable me to resist is reject idea pathogens before they can do damage to the immune system of my life.
Something that runs counter to what I thought that I knew was the way in which emotional reasoning can run counter to rational thought. It seems like, in an effort to allow for pluralism and multiple perspectives, emotional reasoning has dominated rational thought and lowered our ability for critical thinking as a general society. I had never heard of the term, “Ostrich Parasitic Syndrome” that Saad has “discovered.” While he wields this term as, in general, an unhelpful derogatory weapon, I do believe that it’s a good reminder of the importance of critical thinking. He states that, “the human capacity for deception (and self-deception) is enormous; in fact, some scientists suspect one reason our intelligence evolved as it is has is so we can successfully manipulate others.”[4] This was a sobering reminder that, in our broken world, we need to continue to foster critical thinking and exposure to many different ideas, suspending judgment and emotional reactions in order to honestly search for the truth. This search for the truth will take time and a willingness to confront our biases and the possibility of being wrong. It takes humility, compassion, and wisdom. Have you ever succumbed to OPS? What shook your head out of the sand?
[1] Luke 12:48
[2] Matt. 20:26-28
[3] Saad, Gad. “The Parasitic Mind.” page 141
[4] Ibid., 123.
About the Author
Ryan Thorson
Follower of Jesus. Husband. Father. Pastor. Coach. I am passionate about helping people discover the gift of Sabbath and slow down spirituality in the context of our busy world.3 responses to “Is My Head Stuck in the Sand? It’s too dark to tell…”
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Hi Ryan,
Thank you for your post. As I read your post, I was thinking of a sermon that I would use the title your post ‘Is My Head Stuck in the Sand,’ to preach. If you were to preach using this title, which Bible scripture would you choose and why? I am curious.
Hi Ryan, Thanks for sharing your perspective on this. You talked about emotional responses rather than rational thinking. I do wonder if some of the anxiousness that is experienced today and the biases of people wanting to reserve their “in group” fit into this concept. Do you see ways to reduce some of these forces?
Hi Ryan, Thank you for this meaningful reflection. Your parents were wise to instill the scriptural truth that “to whom much is given, much is required.” And you’re right—it is sobering to consider just how vast the human capacity for deception—and self-deception—can be. I’m curious: in what ways do you activate your healthy ideologies to resist parasitic ones and guard against self-deception?