{"id":36240,"date":"2024-02-29T17:51:57","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T01:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=36240"},"modified":"2024-11-20T06:11:20","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T14:11:20","slug":"optimism-resilience-and-a-wysiati-bias-meet-the-holy-spirits-enabling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/optimism-resilience-and-a-wysiati-bias-meet-the-holy-spirits-enabling\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimism, Resilience, and a WYSIATI bias, meet the Holy Spirit\u2019s enabling."},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago, in my post related to Tim Harford\u2019s cautions around data, I made the connection to my mode of making fast connections, even being duped by data that supports pre-conceived theories [1]. This week, with my encounter with Daniel Kahneman\u2019s \u201cThinking Fast and Slow\u201d, I was drawn back to a similar caution. <\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, I am currently involved in the venture of developing and coordinating the Canadian iteration of the Peace and Reconciliation Network. It is extraordinarily challenging, helping to support over 40 Denominations and Theological Schools and Christian Organizations to grow and strengthen in capacity as centres of reconciliation in an unreconciled world. I recognize, like most start-up businesses, this venture has a strong probability of failure, because it is a risky, complex project. But having a \u201csuper-optimistic\u201d self [2] means I either don\u2019t see it or don\u2019t care, or wish to rationalize in some other ways as I commit myself to it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why? What is going on in my brain? <\/span><\/p>\n

Kahneman\u2019s research would point out that I am under some illusion that my optimism and resilience will override my own bias of \u201cWhat You See is All There Is\u201d (WYSIATI)? Are my \u201caffect heuristic\u201d conclusions pronounced because of my convictions, theology, and beliefs? [3] Kahneman claims that \u201ci<\/span>n the context of attitudes, however, System 2 is more of an apologist for the emotions of System 1 than a critic of those emotions\u2014an endorser rather than an enforcer\u201d [4]. All of this suggests that I will rationalize and make choices and reasoning without identifying and understanding errors in my judgements [5].<\/span><\/p>\n

Or to turn this around, I will say it this way. Against all odds, I would rather die to self, and operate in weakness, to allow God\u2019s strength to shine through [6]. My brain must participate with the rest of my body and soul in to perspectives gained only from my whole self joined with the Spirit\u2019s incredible enabling [7]. It is impossible to rationalize away the importance of reckless abandon and against-all-odds attempts at obedience when studying the dialogue between system 1 and 2 of the brain. If, as Kahneman suggests, religious belief is part of a \u201cconfirmatory bias\u201d in System 1 [8], then it would most certainly be reckless. But if reasoned belief is part of both Systems, well then all bets are off, or am I simply asking an easier question[9]?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

___________<\/p>\n

[1] Zantingh, Joel. \u201cWhat Am I Looking At? OK. What Questions Does It Pose?\u201d Accessed February 29, 2024. https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/what-am-i-looking-at-ok-what-questions-does-it-pose\/.<\/span><\/p>\n

[2] Kahneman, Daniel. <\/span>Thinking, Fast and Slow<\/span>. London: Penguin Books, 2012, 252, 255.<\/span><\/p>\n

[3] Kahneman, 103.<\/span><\/p>\n

[4] Kahneman, 103.<\/p>\n

[5] Kahneman, 4.<\/p>\n

[6] 2 Corinthians 12:10.<\/p>\n

[7] \u201c\u201dNow to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,\u201c Ephesians\u202c \u202d3\u202c:\u202d20\u202c \u202dNIV.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

[8] Kahneman, 81.<\/p>\n

[9] Kahneman, 97.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago, in my post related to Tim Harford\u2019s cautions around data, I made the connection to my mode of making fast connections, even being duped by data that supports pre-conceived theories [1]. This week, with my encounter with Daniel Kahneman\u2019s \u201cThinking Fast and Slow\u201d, I was drawn back to a similar caution. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":203,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3084],"class_list":["post-36240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp03-kahneman","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/203"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36240"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39577,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36240\/revisions\/39577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}