Are we humans equipped with different sets of sensors?

Summary

This text explores the psychological roots of human disagreement and why individuals maintain conflicting perspectives. It suggests that rigidly clinging to personal opinions results from a refusal to integrate the experiences and viewpoints of others into one's own worldview. While internal beliefs are formed through individual life experiences, the author argues that conflict arises when people prioritize their egos over a rational re-evaluation of new information. By comparing the human mind to a tunable radio receiver, the source illustrates that we have the capacity to open or close our "sensors" to different realities. Ultimately, the text advocates for a collaborative exchange of ideas where individuals remain willing to modify their stances to reach a more comprehensive understanding.

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Question: Why do humans disagree? Why do we have different opinions about almost everything? Is it because what we call reality is actually plural? Or is it because we humans are equipped with different sets of sensors?

Answer: Disagreements only arise when the parties involved refuse to see the other point of view, and stick to their positions (their guns). People who see things differently, but are willing to accept that they could benefit from another perspective are not likely to stick to their positions, and in time are able to arrive at a common point of view with which both or all are in agreement.

Arriving at an opinion, and holding onto it are two different things. We arrive at an opinion based on our experiences and the conclusions that we have drawn out of those experiences. But holding onto an opinion is the conscious decision to base one’s conclusion exclusively on their own experiences or assumptions, without wanting to test or evaluate them further against other people’s experiences. Once entrenched in that position, it becomes our own reality even though it may be very limited.

Therefore, disagreements or holding on to opinions, or individual reality, can be described as driven by the reluctance to consider any other perspective.

This is not to say that one should willy-nilly, or automatically, give up one’s perception or opinion in the face of a contrary view. The most rational response in such an encounter is to re-examine one’s opinion in the light of the new input. If it is seen as beneficial and can enhance the person’s prior opinion, it would be logical to accept it and thus modify one’s previous opinion. Otherwise, one can try to share the reason for their conviction in their perception with the other person. If they are unable to do so, it is then best to drop the matter, as anything further would lead to disagreement and argument, which are counterproductive, and invariably involve the struggle of egos.

The diversity that we see of views is better described as attributable to the fact that our human sensors are opened or closed to different perceptions, even in similar situations over time. This can be compared to a radio receiver that can be tuned at will to different reception bands.