What is this all about?

At the moment, we can ask this question about so many discrepancies in our social lives, but I want to focus on one: people denying the validity of science and scientific findings. Let me begin this way.

Centuries ago, Copernicus determined that the earth was not the center of the solar system. The sun was the center. Copernicus was a scientist, using the science of his day to determine his conclusion. Yet, people didn't believe him. The key word here is "believe." His discovery existed over a 100 years before many people began accepting it. So, the idea of people not believing science or scientists is not new. Although almost no one today considers the earth the center of the solar system, many people still disbelieve science.

Now, let me turn to some scientific discoveries and inventions that are almost universal, used by everyone, even the non-believers. Science developed advances in medicine, advances in understanding healthy diets and exercise, cell phones, computers, motor vehicles, healthier child births, construction of houses and buildings and infrastructure of all sorts, travel to the moon and other planets...need I go on? If science were not useful and trustworthy, none of these everyday realities would exist and we would be living deprived lives compared to our current lives. This would be the case for all of us – non-believers and science followers!

Okay, so how does this relate to psychology. The psychology of the non-believers is associated with a number of possible aspects and certainly with erroneous beliefs that follow. Usually, the common psychological aspects include fear of knowledge and change, loss of control of one's life, egotism meaning it must be my way (my beliefs), and a lack of cognitive development. These aspects are all related to psychology. Some originate with parents and their influences, some are related to ego (identity) development, trauma, a lack of relational abilities and some are related to insecurities.

Scientists strive to be objective, meaning in every way they attempt to avoid personal influences or biases that could change the results of a study. They avoid others as well who could interfere with experimental conclusions and investigations. Beliefs are subjective, meaning only an individual's influence and biases are important. As a result, biases are central to subjectivity but clearly not to objectivity, which is the opposite.

So, what's this all about? It's about the psychological influences that form beliefs. It's about the opposites that are found so often in life and psychology and living one-sidedly, discarding science for individual beliefs.