Rationality frees us from the many intense forms of suffering caused by harmful indoctrination and dogmatism. Read more at…
LIVING WITHOUT HARM: Let us oppose poisonous dogmatism.
HOW CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT HARM? Let us distance ourselves from the Decalogue of Evil.
It consists of thinking for ourselves through analysis, questioning, and verification. It involves recognising as truths only those facts that have been proven and demonstrated, and maintaining doubt regarding mere theories, hypotheses, claims, and opinions. It also entails comparing different alternatives, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each, in order to choose the best one.
Reason is grounded in a critical, free-thinking spirit, whereas blind faith rests on that foolish credulity into which we have all fallen. The latter consists of believing something without further thought simply because someone told us so at some point, or we read it somewhere, without verifying it in any way and without conclusive evidence. When we do so, we behave like mere voice recorders that register something they hear and do nothing more than repeat it.
Logical thinking goes hand in hand with advanced ways of thinking, intelligence, and open-mindedness, whereas magical thinking is linked to superstition, closed-mindedness, narrow-mindedness, and harmful traditionalism. Intellectual rigour leads to civilisation, whereas unquestionable beliefs lead to deception, toxic herd mentality and backwardness.
FOR A WORLD WITHOUT HARM: Let us be open-minded.
THE ART OF LIVING WITHOUT HARM: Let us continue the civilising process.
LET US LIVE WITHOUT HARM!: Let us not follow the herd in order to cause harm.
We all have a part of both worlds, and the good news is that we can all evolve towards a more scientific mindset.
Imagine that a woman goes before a judge and says that her neighbour raped her, without presenting evidence.
Would it not be absurd and outrageous for that judge to believe her without further inquiry and sentence the accused to prison, without seeking evidence that what the complainant says is true? Let us not be like that, and let us regard any unproven claim as a mere assumption about which it is sensible to have doubts.
For evidence to be considered valid, it must be like 2+2=4. If you take 2 coins on one side, another 2 on the other, and then put them together and count them, the result will be 4. If you do the same with banknotes, the result will be the same. And the same will happen if you carry out that experiment with glasses, forks, or any other objects. This shows that it is an absolute and universal truth, valid for all places and times.
And to accept any other statement as true, that same level of evidence is required, so that it is as solid as rock rather than sand. In this regard, I have bad news and good news.
The bad news is that, although many people believe in a narcissistic and arrogant way that we humans are rational beings, reality is very different. A large proportion of people have average to low analytical abilities that do not allow them to question on their own what has been instilled in them. Some of them can do so when an outside person prompts them to ask whether it is true, but not on their own.
The good news is that we can encourage others to question dogmas. What is more, it is possible to develop this critical-thinking skill simply by wanting to do so. Because it is enough to ask ourselves, for each belief we hold:
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? How do I know it is true? Is it proven and demonstrated like 2 and 2 make 4?
It also helps to learn to think for ourselves and develop the intellect… read more at…
LIVING WITHOUT HARM: Let us think for ourselves and say no to toxic indoctrination.
And to make progress in this skill, it is highly recommended to read the following free books from the Institute for Wellbeing: first, the adventure story “The Secret of Milene”, then the action and suspense novel “The Story of Zan”, and then “The Techniques of Personal Wellbeing”. Specifically, it is advisable to read the chapters devoted to Thought Training, which progressively delve into questioning negative beliefs as an important tool for improving our happiness.
Thank you for sharing if you believe these ideas contribute to a less abusive, more evolved, civilised, and happier world in which to live,
Xavier Paya
Live Without Harming initiative
LET US NOT HARM ANYONE, except in legitimate self-defense against the aggressor.
With the Live Without Harming initiative, we strive to prevent any kind of suffering or harm from being inflicted upon you, your loved ones, and others.
1 Mission: A happier world
3 Goals:
1. Share scientific knowledge about wellbeing.
2. Encourage people not to cause harm.
3. Promote scientific research on quality of life.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE TIPS TO BE HAPPIER?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP US LEAVE A BETTER WORLD THAN THE ONE YOU FOUND?
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