I just thought of this.
How many people want to hear the truth?
It's uncomfortable, for a start. It may challenge your beliefs.
It may halt your dreams.
It may force you to confront your shortcomings. You may have to realise that you're short/ugly/stupid/useless/whatever.
Maybe most people are better off not hearing the truth. They'd be happier that way.
Maybe the pursuit of happiness is the best goal for mankind and therefore we should be deaf to the truth.
Maybe religion is a way of not hearing the unpleasant truth of the world, that our bodies are crap and our minds are not much better, and there is no afterlife, and this is the best we get, and not for long, and life's a bitch and then we die.
Maybe the best thing is not to hear the truth.
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You need the truth to know what the real problems are, work to create real solutions for the real problems, and make the real world a better place. While it is true that it might be more pleasant to hide ones head in the sand and pretend problems don't exist, for ignorance is bliss, it doesn't actually do anything to improve the situation. Sure, one can teach a slave to be happy being a slave, but is that as good as teaching them to be free men?
Anyone that would choose delusion over a reality that may be unpleasant, isn't really worthy of that reality, and should shut up while the adults are talking.
Pussies don't want the truth.
I was told by someone I know that Ayn Rand did an example of this:
Imagine that you crash land on a desolate world. All you see is wasteland as far as the eye can see. All your crew members are dead and all you know about the equipment on the ship and in the controls is that the radio is dead.
What do you, personally, do?
First I would try to find some water, food, and something to protect myself with. Next I would attempt to ascertain if the ship or radio can be repaired. Then I would check to see if there is anything I could use to alert other ships passing said planet to my predicament.
If all efforts failed, I would likely explore the planet, looking for a more habitable place for a base of operations.
"What do you, personally, do?"
"Imagine that you crash land on a desolate world........"Erm... maybe start imagining something better?
But if it actually happened, deluding yourself that you did not crash and that you are just sunbathing in a 5 star hotel's sun terrace or something, won't improve your situation but worsen it.
It would make make you happy for a little while but soon you will be forced to face reality and it will hit you worse than before.
Like what happens to theists when they realise that they have been duped and understand how much time they wasted of their life on an obvious lie.
I've been thinking about this recently. Mostly because it's the supporting idea when people I know argue that I "think too much" about things. I tell them that I am happy thinking the way I do. They seem shocked and, sometimes, even upset.
I say, to each their own. I am not going to force you to discover truth, but don't bother me on my venture to do so. I don't know everything, nor will I at any point in my life.
I do want to know as many true things that I possibly can. With depressing truths comes joyous ones. I would like to see people be more keen on discovering what is true. I think we need to know the truth if we are to more efficiently remedy the ailments of this world and of life.
I tend to agree with the comments here. I trained as a scientist and worked as an accountant so I think the truth is important (even if a bit of creativity is allowed....).
But I can see why religion persists and people don't want to pursue the unpleasant truths. Most people want to remain part of their family/community/church; that would be the most important thing to them. Most people live uneventful lives and may well be happy with the familiar service and ritual. Maybe they're happier that way.
I'm sure that very few people who thought like that would post here.
I wouldn't be so disheartened, Mr Nutmeg, about what life is while we're here. While it is certainly no walk in the park for most of us, there are some wonderful momments to cherish...although admittedly, not as many as we would like. Live it the best you can, take what ever good comes out of it, and relish it to the max. On another note, the truth NEVER goes over well...especially when it comes to family. I can't even count the nu,ber of times that people have chosen to just avoid/ ignore the truth, continued to live in their own fantasy, and wound up paying a dear price fpr it. That is why theism is so popular...it allows people to cling to something that will make them feel more comfortable with their own mortality ( which IS scary), and as a way to deal with loved ones that they have lost, somehow thinking that they will "see" them again, and the goodbye isn't final. In other words, people that can't deal with, or refuse to deal with reality. People want to live in a world that they WANT to exist, but deep down know that it isn't possible...so they have to have "faith." But for any logical person, faith is NOT enough!!. I have always conducted my life using facts, logic, and reason when making important decisions. I will not change that just so I can believe in things that have no verifiable evidence by any logical means. Most people would rather overlook the truth, because the truth too often is painful, and something that they don't want to hear.