There are indirect consequences. Believing nonsense forces one to compartmentalise at best and contaminates one’s whole epistemology at worst. Many facts I am/was interested in have practically zero direct consequences to my life. Consider the consequences of knowing about
Believing nonsense forces one to compartmentalise at best and contaminates one’s whole epistemology at worst.
False dichotomy. Not believing in the truth does not imply believing nonsense. It’s always possible to say “meh, I have no idea what to believe and the 5 days it’d take to decide probably aren’t worth it” and move on.
(For instance… which do you believe is a better model of the universe, M-theory or loop quantum gravity?)
Agnosticism indeed doesn’t imply believing nonsense. But being agnostic about a question which can be easily decided on evidential grounds has similar consequences as believing nonsense, compartmentalisation-wise. For example, it requires believing that it would take five days to arrive to a reasonable conclusion, which belief may be false. On the other hand, for the particular question asked by the OP the five days may not be unreasonably long, so you may have a point.
which do you believe is a better model of the universe, M-theory or loop quantum gravity?
Loop quantum gravity. (I don’t imply that this is a question one should have a definite opinion about.)
There are indirect consequences. Believing nonsense forces one to compartmentalise at best and contaminates one’s whole epistemology at worst. Many facts I am/was interested in have practically zero direct consequences to my life. Consider the consequences of knowing about
evolution / origin of life
quantum mechanics
Big Bang
simulation hypothesis
history of the Roman empire
almost all philosophy
...
False dichotomy. Not believing in the truth does not imply believing nonsense. It’s always possible to say “meh, I have no idea what to believe and the 5 days it’d take to decide probably aren’t worth it” and move on.
(For instance… which do you believe is a better model of the universe, M-theory or loop quantum gravity?)
Agnosticism indeed doesn’t imply believing nonsense. But being agnostic about a question which can be easily decided on evidential grounds has similar consequences as believing nonsense, compartmentalisation-wise. For example, it requires believing that it would take five days to arrive to a reasonable conclusion, which belief may be false. On the other hand, for the particular question asked by the OP the five days may not be unreasonably long, so you may have a point.
Loop quantum gravity. (I don’t imply that this is a question one should have a definite opinion about.)