[shakespeare47]

We all have biases. Sometimes it's hard to admit it when we are wrong about something.

Galef set out on a personal quest to identify her wrong assumptions. The outcome: the Surprise Journal. She keeps this journal with her at all times, writing down when something surprises her and why. For example, she noticed she was surprised that both older and younger people were attending her workshops, because she assumed people would self-segregate by age. She was surprised that her students would mention a concept from one of her colleague’s classes, because she didn’t expect that idea to be very memorable. "I started thinking about surprise as a cue that my expectations were wrong," she says.
Many behavioral psychology and cognitive science studies demonstrate that humans find it difficult to change their opinions. In what is known as the "bias blind spot," it is much easier for us to see other people’s biases than our own. The "confirmation bias" reveals that we seek out feedback from people who are likely to agree with us: We read newspapers and watch TV talk shows that are probably going to tells us things we already agree with. Galef says that there is much more research about how biased humans are than how to change these biases. "I really wanted to get better at changing my mind," she tells me. "This is not a perfect solution, but it has gone a long way to making me more open and less defensive about when I’m wrong."
Sometimes the surprises she stumbles upon are major shockers—a friend she thought was loyal betrays her, or a scientific belief is disproven. But the everyday moments of surprise are actually more exciting to Galef. It surprised her, for instance, that her teaching ratings were sometimes lower than the ratings of colleagues. This signaled to her that she had been over-confident about her teaching abilities and had perhaps not been open to feedback that could have improved her skills. Sometimes, it surprises her when audience members seem enthusiastic about one of her talks. Rather than just being flattered by the positive feedback, Galef takes this as an opportunity to assess her own understanding of what makes a topic useful or exciting: Perhaps her pre-suppositions about what other people find interesting is due for a change?
She tells me that the sheer act of carrying her Surprise Journal around causes her to notice when things strike her as odd or unusual. "You see more surprising things when you are looking out for them."

Here's something that surprised me.
I looked into the idea of free will for a while. First I read Sam Harris' book Free Will and was totally convinced: Harris's argument is that we live in a deterministic universe, therefore we can't have free will. We are merely doing what we were predetermined to do, Harris convinced me of this (you may even be able to find posts where I defend Harris' point of view). But, then I met a philosophy professor, and then started looking at the issue from other angles. I read Dennett's Elbow Room, then some books by Alfred Mele, and then some articles by Roy Baumeister. I also listened to several youtube videos by each of the above. I also learned that David Hume wrote about his views on free will. His conclusion? We may live in a deterministic universe, but we do also have free will.

So, basically, it's argued that our species gradually evolved the ability for free will. We plan, we make decisions, we are responsible for what we do (morally and otherwise). And Harris may be convinced that it's all an illusion, but he hasn't actually made his case, as far as I'm concerned, other than continuously asserting "It isn't possible for free will to exist in a deterministic universe".

Anyone else care to share what has surprised you? What were you wrong about? What did you change your mind about?

[shakespeare47]

All right, this one is kind of embarrassing. I realized recently that there is a much more efficient way to mow my lawn. This is after mowing it the same way for 16 years.

[shakespeare47]

I'm surprised I just now realized that I spelled "surprise" wrong in the title.

[shakespeare47]

I was surprised to realize that I do have superstitions. I have the feeling that if I'm a good person, then I will be more likely to win the lottery, for example.

I also have this superstition that some people are just "luckier" than others, and are therefore more likely to win things like a lottery. I've fantasized about having certain specific people I see as "lucky", buy a lottery ticket for me.

[marmaduke]

So, basically, it's argued that our species gradually evolved the ability for free will. We plan, we make decisions, we are responsible for what we do (morally and otherwise)

But do we? I don't think so.
We do not choose our genes. We do not choose our parents.
How many decisions do we really make? Most decisions are imposed upon us. One example; I wanted to go to uni. Parents said no, and stuck me in a factory (breakdown a year later)

Chioce? Free will? All an illusion, people like to think they choose, but they don't.

[shakespeare47]

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with your parents. Some parents just don't seem to get that they would be better off helping their children figure out for themselves what is best for them.

Billy Graham said that "the best way to help your children succeed in the world is to figure out what they like to do, and encourage them to do it".

But all that is still secondary to the question, "do we have free will?" You appear to agree that we either have free will, or the illusion of free will. What makes you so sure it's an illusion?

[whatisthishere]

A good read on free will and common sense is some Thomas Paine

[shakespeare47]

I'm surprised in that I recently changed my mind about the Galileo Affair.