I found the first six and a half minutes of the following video very interesting, especially in light of Harold Camping's recent failed rapture prediction.
In the video (starting about 1:30), Chris describes how two separate people-- one of them his mother-- received revelations indicating that his brother was going to be raised from the dead. Not surprisingly, it didn't happen. Years later, Chris asked his mom if she remembered when Jesus told her that his brother would be raised from the dead. She did not. Chris says, "That was a little bit earth shattering. Here's Jesus talking to my mom, and she didn't remember. And I thought, 'Why would you forget that? Unless... we always do that. Maybe we're always forgetting those moments that contradict, just so that we can maintain our faith.' And then I started finding memories, coming back to me."
Humans really do have a remarkable capacity for self-deception. We're selective not only in what we remember, but also in what we perceive and how we make sense of things. It makes one wonder: in twenty years, what will Harold Camping's followers remember about May 21, 2011?
1 comments:
It's so true. Recently, I have learned that in reality this is a very good thing for us as humans. People who are depressed are generally more realistic and do not overinflate themselves, their memories, and/or accomplishments. Our self-deception, in part, is what keeps us psychology stable and happy.
Nevertheless, it is helpful to be aware of it so we are more open to correction and acknowledgement that we might not have it quite right.
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