Difference between revisions of "Mysticism"
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
| − | [[ | + | [[category:worldviews]][[category:working definitions]][[Mysticism]] is the belief that it is ''preferable'' for some things to remain mysterious and incomprehensible. This belief often hides behind a facade of argument that we simply ''cannot'' understand such things, at least not yet, and so any attempts to do so are a waste of time and resources. |
| − | One corollary of this is that an idea which is ''understandable'' is generally given more | + | |
| + | In the mystical worldview, sources of information which are not well understood – such as intuition, dreams, and visions – are of key significance, while logical reasoning and quantifiable data are generally suspect. | ||
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| + | One corollary of this is that an idea which is ''understandable'' is generally given more credence than an idea which is ''complicated'', even if the latter is ''verifiably true'' or the former is ''verifiably false''; for this reason, mystical ideas are often quite successful [[meme]]s due to their ease of absorption. | ||
==Reference== | ==Reference== | ||
* {{wikipedia|Mysticism}} | * {{wikipedia|Mysticism}} | ||
Revision as of 23:27, 2 August 2007
Overview
Mysticism is the belief that it is preferable for some things to remain mysterious and incomprehensible. This belief often hides behind a facade of argument that we simply cannot understand such things, at least not yet, and so any attempts to do so are a waste of time and resources.
In the mystical worldview, sources of information which are not well understood – such as intuition, dreams, and visions – are of key significance, while logical reasoning and quantifiable data are generally suspect.
One corollary of this is that an idea which is understandable is generally given more credence than an idea which is complicated, even if the latter is verifiably true or the former is verifiably false; for this reason, mystical ideas are often quite successful memes due to their ease of absorption.