[未归类] issue41 [SJTU-ETB6 10G]第五次作业 [复制链接]

zhangjunhao
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电梯直达

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发表于 2007-8-5 22:37:41 |只看该作者 |倒序浏览

TOPIC: ISSUE41 - "Such nonmainstream areas of inquiry as astrology, fortune-telling, and psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream science."
WORDS: 474       TIME: 00:45:00       DATE: 2007-8-5 21:56:55

It is acknowledged that the nonmainstream areas of inquiry such as astrology, fortune-telling, and psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that can't be obtained from the mainstream science as the speaker claims. However, the detrimental effects that these nonmainstream areas bring us are much more serious compared to the benefits they bring us.

To a certain extent, the needs of us human beings can be satisfied through the nonmainstream areas of inquiry and even it is merely limited to the realm of psychology. In our quotidian life, scores of unpleasant things will become of us among which some are beyond our ability to well process and ultimately be solved. In the case of that, we may turn to some forces or supports out of science. For instance, there is old saying that when the falling stars happen, if you make your wish facing to the fallen stars, then the wish will become true someday. And many people follow it. However, this old saying is entirely lack in scientific evidence and nobody could tell the source of this saying which seems even a little absurd. Admittedly, there are many other activities similar to this one which could play a pivotal role in distracting the attention of the people from suffering the anguish that the cataclysms bring them and getting rid of the agony temporarily. For the most part, the faith in these nonmainstream things bring the comfort for people and even enable the people  trapped in anguish to look forward to the hopes, though these hope would turn out to be impossible in most time.

However, once the psychological need from these things is amplified, it will be utilized by those charlatans or others who seek to prey on dupes. These people always pretend to be cryptic and make people believe that they really have the access to something or someone which has strength to predict the future. Usually, they are characterized by the words which sound profound and the eccentric tools they take with them. What is much ridiculous is that the people who have the belief in those nonmainstream things would absolutely believe in them and the credulity always leads to the tremendous loss of money.

Furthermore, without any sure way to evaluate the legitimacy of these avenues of inquiry, participants become vulnerable to self-deception, false hopes, fantastic ideas and even delusions. All of these would lead to the harm to themselves and even the whole society. Let's take the Chinese evil cult of Falungong for example. This evil cult misleads their followers to give up all the beautiful things in life so as to approach to the God. They even entice the followers to do harm to their own body such as burning themselves through which they could enter the so-called heaven after dieing.  These absurd behaviors not only damage themselves but also cause detrimental effect to the safety of whole society.

To sum up, these nomainstream avenues of inquiry could bring a few psychological comforts to people encounter misfortune. But after all, these things are not science or haven't become science. We should deal with them cautiously.