Q&A: Faith and Its Meaning
Faith and Its Meaning
Question
Hello Rabbi, I listened to your lessons on faith, and I have a question regarding the claim that human beings, as complex creatures, can completely believe something at the conscious level, while in their subconscious it is clear to them that it is not true.
If I understood your words correctly, does this basically mean that in right-left debates, hostages-starvation-the occupation of Gaza, we don’t really have the ability to convince one another, unless the person we’re speaking with already truly believes deep down that the other side’s position is correct?
That reminds me of the stories about the “leftists who woke up” on October 7, who say that in a single moment their whole worldview collapsed and they “understood what the truth of reality is.” Maybe deep down they were really right-wing?
Answer
It’s much more complex. Persuasion through a logical argument that leads to a conclusion different from your stated position means that the conclusion was actually already there in your subconscious to begin with. But rhetoric can also change basic assumptions.