We really need to distinguish between a belief, and an idea that creates a strong emotional reaction in us.
Plenty of people know and believe that smoking is incredibly harmful, but that doesn’t motivate them to stop smoking. Plenty of people know and believe that there are no ghosts, but that doesn’t stop them from being scared when they walk past a graveyard.
What people here are discussing seems overwhelmingly to be methods for retraining your emotions, not altering beliefs.
That’s actually a distinction made by the Chinese philosopher Ch’eng I—between mere knowledge and a deeper sort—knowing that leaving town at night is dangerous versus having been mauled by a tiger. Of course, he regarded the latter as more properly called ‘knowledge’. I think I’m persuaded that belief and emotion are more closely linked than you suggest.
We really need to distinguish between a belief, and an idea that creates a strong emotional reaction in us.
Plenty of people know and believe that smoking is incredibly harmful, but that doesn’t motivate them to stop smoking. Plenty of people know and believe that there are no ghosts, but that doesn’t stop them from being scared when they walk past a graveyard.
What people here are discussing seems overwhelmingly to be methods for retraining your emotions, not altering beliefs.
That’s actually a distinction made by the Chinese philosopher Ch’eng I—between mere knowledge and a deeper sort—knowing that leaving town at night is dangerous versus having been mauled by a tiger. Of course, he regarded the latter as more properly called ‘knowledge’. I think I’m persuaded that belief and emotion are more closely linked than you suggest.