Foolish Consistency?

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

There's nothing wrong with having contradictory beliefs. Everyone does. However, contradictions, when discovered, must be straightened out as soon as possible.

But, I guess the question is, must they? Is there anything wrong with living with contradictions? I do all the time. It seems to me that it is a natural manifestation in attempting to adapt to all of the variety of life. Rather than beat myself up or force myself to live with an immediate resolution, I give it time and see how things may resolve. However which, I do take into account the impact.

Rich

It may have been your purpose to simply arouse these expectations, but the point is that the standard purposes of speech and belief are frustrated (generally speaking we want to speak to communicate something, and we want to believe something because we think it is true).

i try to avoid contradicting myself but yes I do age and as I age my opinions also do change...so naturally yes over the time I do.

Hi there daleader,

I think that as we get older, we understand that circumstances do change and not every situation can be rigidly followed in some consistent manner. I like to have a basic approach to life, but I also like maintaining some flexibility so that experimentation and change remains. So sometimes, I'll simply try something new. When I invest in the stock market, there is some consistency, but as a rule, I have to constantly respond to changing conditions. It is literally a roll of the die.

Rich

The problem of consistency lays in two things:
1)ego
2)trying to live a life that we can be sure of.

We cannot we are wrong as 1) doesnt allow us. We try to live a consistent life due to 2).

Yet, I find within most people they will say one thing, believe another thing, and do another thing, in what appears to be inconsistent manners. I usually take the universe as it is, and rather than to deny any aspects as wrong or as an illusion, I just accept it as it is, and try to figure out why it is so - not as what I think it should be.

Maybe inconsistency is just fine. More flexibility. Easier to deal with the changes in life?

Rich

...

Hi there daleader,

I think that as we get older, we understand that circumstances do change and not every situation can be rigidly followed in some consistent manner. I like to have a basic approach to life, but I also like maintaining some flexibility so that experimentation and change remains. So sometimes, I'll simply try something new. When I invest in the stock market, there is some consistency, but as a rule, I have to constantly respond to changing conditions. It is literally a roll of the die.

Rich

I think there are three different uses of consistency at play in this thread, and it would be helpful to nail them down. Firstly, logical consistency: a set of statements (or beliefs) is consistent if and only if it is possible for them all to be true at the same time. My post above regards this definition, I think it is usually important to be consistent in this sense of the word for the reasons outlined there.

Second, in ordinary use the word can be in a similar vain, but a little less stringent. Should everything be in accord with everything related to it? For example, should we act in accordance to our beliefs. When we use the word 'consistent' in this sense, I think we want everything to be flowing in the same direction, so to speak.

Finally, there is 'consistency' in the sense of uniformity and non-deviation, which I think is a different kettle of fish altogether.

But, I guess the question is, must they? Is there anything wrong with living with contradictions? I do all the time. It seems to me that it is a natural manifestation in attempting to adapt to all of the variety of life. Rather than beat myself up or force myself to live with an immediate resolution, I give it time and see how things may resolve. However which, I do take into account the impact.

Living with contradictions is intellectually dishonest, assuming that "living with" means not actively trying to work through the problem.

I'll use an example to illustrate. Back around when the Iraq War started, I got into an argument with a left-leaning friend. She simultaneously believed the following two things:

1) We have a moral duty not to exert unprovoked military power overseas.
2) We have a moral duty to liberate women, political dissidents, etc, living under oppressive regimes.

The contradiciton here is obvious: We have a moral duty to invade and a moral duty to not invade. I pointed this out to her and she, a person who was usually not short on words, was dumbstruck. She had no response because she had not even been aware of the tension in her beliefs.

The problem basically admits of three solutions: drop 1, drop 2, or find a way of synthesizing them so that they are no longer in conflict. It might take a person years to find a satisfactory solution. If she were still, to this day, trying to work her way through it, I would say that she would not be "living with" the contradiction. "Living with", as I understand it, would mean that she would simply forget about the problem or give it up as unsolvable and go about her business. That would be the height of intellectual dishonesty.

Working through the contradiction might take a lifetime (think of Augustine or Kierkegaard), but as long as the contradiction is confronted and recognized for what it is, then I would not say that it is being "lived with". Is that what you mean?

So trying to pass off inconsistency with "cute" error prone human behavior and acceptable is quite alright, but to make political, social or environmental decisions that effect the lives of others and refusing to acknowledge some inconsistencies in those behaviors is unacceptable. Have I made my point yet?

I came across this quote today while watching the Kudlow Report on CNBC:

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. [Ralph Waldo Emerson]

I don't mind being inconsistent at times. Helps to keep the mind flowing. How about you?

Rich

Living with contradictions is intellectually dishonest, assuming that "living with" means not actively trying to work through the problem.

Working through the contradiction might take a lifetime (think of Augustine or Kierkegaard), but as long as the contradiction is confronted and recognized for what it is, then I would not say that it is being "lived with". Is that what you mean?

Although those same contradictions cause us to do exactly that when we feel uninspired. Interesting.

And he certainly did not mean that being consistent is foolish, as you probably believe.

Hi,

I think that people should be easier on themselves. Inconsistent behavior happens in life. I just observe mine, try to understand it, and make what I can out of it. Consistency creates order and trust. But it may not be flexible enough to accommodate different situations that one is presented with in life.

I'll use an example to illustrate. Back around when the Iraq War started, I got into an argument with a left-leaning friend. She simultaneously believed the following two things:

1) We have a moral duty not to exert unprovoked military power overseas.
2) We have a moral duty to liberate women, political dissidents, etc, living under oppressive regimes.



Yes. I would say don't beat yourself up over it. Sometimes you go to sleep and you awaken with a new idea. Contradictions and inconsistencies, it seems, are part of life and part of the evolving mind.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Rich

---------- Post added 08-09-2009 at 10:12 AM ----------



Yes, I agree. Contradictions are a good motivator to change in life.

Rich

---------- Post added 08-09-2009 at 10:14 AM ----------



Whatever he meant, he seemed to feel it was a particular problem of both statesman and philosophers. But I think we all do it. Probably Emerson was also doing it, but maybe didn't realize it.

Rich

:perplexed:


Right. Let's all keep contradicting ourselves so we can be motivated.

Can anyone give an example of a "good" contradiction? One you would be happy to make again?