![MBTI](/6rmzba87hd611.jpg) # Suspended Disbelief Long ago, I dated a woman who believed in ghosts and crystals and horoscopes and toxins and stuff. Of course crystals _exist_, but she claimed that they heal you and incur luck and other mumbo-jumbo that I couldn't wrap my head around. But I'm not here to _Destroy Magic with Facts & Logic_ — I'm here to preach against assholes like me who suck the fun out of everything. ## True vs. Useful I like the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) personality test. Of course, I know it's [fake news](https://www.skeptical-science.com/skepticism-2/is-myers-briggs-scientific/). But that doesn't stop me from enjoying shitposts on [r/entp](https://www.reddit.com/r/entp/). Even though MBTI isn't _true_, it's pretty _useful_. MBTI is a consistent structure which people can use to talk about how they view themselves. Plus, it's fun to take personality tests 💁 But if it's okay to suspend your disbelief for harmless fantasies like MBTI, then is it okay to do the same for crystal-healing or flat-earth or Catholicism? I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how much _Facts & Logic_ actually matter. Horoscopes and anti-vaxx are of the same _kind_ but not the same _degree_. Belief in _"Today May be a Good Day for Capricorns"_ is benign. But belief that _"Today May Be a Measles Day for My Children"_ is potentially fatal to you and the people around you. Should we tolerate bad ideas? ## Simulate Beliefs My friend (let's call her K) recently became a grandmother (congrats!). K's daughter and son-in-law are both medical professionals, so they obviously wanted to vaccinate their beautiful baby boy. K called me, sobbing and lamenting about the dangers of vaccines. Now, I could've thrown _Facts & Logic_ at her, but what are the chances she would've listened? That day I tried a different approach — what was she _really_ saying? Rather than discussing medical literature and statistics, we talked about feelings. And well, it was fear — _a lot_ of fear. And other things. Because humans are complicated. And ya know what? I don't think she's clinging to anti-vaxx so dearly anymore, because _it was never about the vaccines_. I'm not going to opine about abortion, but realize that _half of the U.S. population literally believes children are being murdered en-masse._ Try to place yourself in their shoes — what if it was common practice to kill children under the age of 5 or 10? Would you be alright with that? Many of my friends and family are Evangelicals. I don't believe in God, but it's useful to _simulate their beliefs_. These people _literally believe that a vampire crucified himself to conquer evil_. Throwing _Facts & Logic_ at them is just going to make me seem unreliable and combatitive. When advising others, guide them with words that they understand; use _their_ mental frameworks to tackle problems. > Their feelings don't care about your facts. Simulate others' beliefs. Listen to what others are saying. Don't weaponize your _Facts & Logic_ until you've heard what their hearts are saying. Ugh, my conclusions here are unsatisfying: err on the side of _"Be a Good Listener"_. But the world would be a better place if everybody respected _Facts & Logic_. But I guess everybody tries their best. ## Sowing Doubt But once again, I'm not here to _Destroy Magic with Facts & Logic_. Vaccinations, horoscopes, and religion are easy targets. But I believe in a bunch of fringe stuff too! I believe _Dvorak Keyboards are Superior_ and _The Internet is Broken_ and _Nuclear Energy is Wonderful_ and _Constructivist Maths are Cool_ and _Capitalism is Cool Sometimes_ and also _Universal Basic Income is Cool Too_ and _Licensure is Evil_ and _Taoism is Worthwhile_ and _Cryptocurrency_ and _Oxford Commas are Correct_ and so on. And I'm always _so sure_. Why am I so sure that _Soylent is Safe_? I'm not a dietician. Why am I so sure that _Molten-Salt Reactors are The Answer to Clean Energy_? I'm not a nuclear physicist. I mean, I've obviously researched these things, but I'm not an expert. I'm currently 26. I don't know anything about anything. But I _care_. Maybe I shouldn't care. I don't know. ## Conclusion? I'm not sure if I really even have a point here. I'm definitely not saying anything new: - Listen to people. - Don't be _so sure_. - It's okay to pretend. ## Conclusion Back to my ex-girlfriend's crystal collection. One day, long ago, I went over to her place feeling like a turd. I was exhausted and anxious and everything was rotten. As I was lying on the couch, she traced some spooky patterns on my body and balanced crystals on me. And it felt nice.