Humans need a good understanding of the world around them to survive. However, knowing the truth is not the only thing that matters to us. We also want to be a part of a group or a community. This desire to belong is important for our survival because for most of human history, we lived in groups. If we were separated from our group, it could mean death.
Sometimes, our desire to belong conflicts with our need to know the truth. In some situations, being part of a group or community is more important than knowing the truth. Steven Pinker, a psychologist from Harvard University, said that people are often judged based on their beliefs. Therefore, people may hold beliefs that make them popular with others, even if those beliefs are not true. These false beliefs can be helpful in a social sense even if they are not helpful in terms of knowing the truth. When we have to choose between the two, we often choose our friends and family over facts.
To change someone’s mind, we must first become friends with them and integrate them into our group or community. This way, they can change their beliefs without the risk of being rejected socially. Sharing meals with people who have different beliefs is a good way to promote tolerance and understanding between different groups. Proximity, or being close to someone, can help us understand and accept them better.
Comprehension
1) Why is it important for humans to be part of a group?
2) What is the conflict between for truth and the desire to belong?
3) What does Steven Pinker say about the relationship between beliefs and social connections?
Vocabulary
Match the words to the definition:
1) matter
2) conflict
3) judge
4) in terms of
5) reject
6) tolerance
a) related to a particular topic
b) to form an opinion of someone or something
c) don’t match or go together
d) acceptance of others
e) something that is important
f) to say no to something
Grammar Highlights
Use second conditional for hypothetical situations:
“If we were separated from our group, it could mean death”
*This article was adapted from another article to make it more suitable for English learners. You can read the original article here.