The world as it really is
Unknowable, despite conviction
We hope for objectivity
And yet we see prediction
Perception is the mind’s best guess, to make some sense of all the mess
Expectations frame the lens, ontology, each one depends
Controlled hallucination
To see what we want to see
Perception is not a mirror
But the bounds of subjectivity
Our minds are but a model, sensations flowing, open throttle
A story written, a narrative, to which high credence we will give
Grounded on abstraction
Toward emotion reason shouts
Embodied filters blinding us
Wishful thinking wins the bout
Behold the power of intuition, as certainty comes to fruition
Housed in our unconscious mind, yet fallible we ought to find
Beliefs entangled with desire
Can I hold this view of mine?
Search for reasons to confirm
True or not, we all assign
Not all views have equal merit, unable to know, unless we share it
Reducing that complexity, except when over-vexed we’ll be
Worlds are shaped by what we want
In how we act and how we view
Rigid ways take hold of us
The old interprets all the new
Emotions are the reason’s master, ignoring this will bring disaster
Hume was right about the passions, finding reasons is our fashion
When evidence begins to mount
Against a highly prized belief
Minds can change, a last resort
From dissonance, we seek relief
Ignore the proof, for it can’t be! Or change your views for harmony
Highlight all coincidence, though it lacks significance
Must I believe what’s likely true?
Not if I can find a way!
A means to cover my own eyes
Truth be damned, emotions stray
Coincidence we seem to find, memories, tricks of the mind
‘Tis the frequency illusion, we’re falling prey to this delusion
The path of least resistance
Always tempting to the end
Sacrificing truth for self
How far the mind can bend
A marvel of our evolution, the ego fights its dissolution
Fallacies run far and wide, despite the logic by our side
Remember what you must
Your world is up to you
Conveniently forget the rest
And false becomes the true
Few will try to face the truth
Combat the bias, critique the “I”
Only the bravest make attempts
By far the most would rather die
By far the most would rather lie
To themselves, to everyone
Confirmation biases
From human nature, we try to run
You can run but you can’t hide!
Our biases remain
But evidence has verified
There’s knowledge we can gain
The Open Mind 