Trying out a different world view

[kantor1003]

Hello, I guess I'm a scientific rationalistic nihilistic atheist (boring, right?). One of the things that I, at least at present, dislike in humans is their tendency to become more and more fixed to a certain "reality", wether it's a catholic-, atheistic-, absurdist-, conservative-, rationalist-, liberal-, or whatever else - reality (whatever rocks your boat). I tend to regard this as very limiting, and I dislike, being the hypocrite I am, people with world views different from mine that can't seem to take in new ideas/concepts (the ones I subscribe to, lol) because they are so fixed in their own (this usually seems to get worse as people get older). So, in a desperate attempt to avoid this myself I am considering to try a new outlook on for size.

The most obvious place to start would be with world views that are most in opposition to what mine currently are. I think that perhaps would be a conservative, spiritually inclined person. A mystic could be fun, but that isn't really that far off from what I currently am, so I don't think it would be too difficult to transform into one.
The problem is though, I think, is fear for managing to transform into something I currently oppose. I don't know why this fear emerges.. but it does. If some of you have actively tried to read something in an attempt to embrace a new outlook that differs greatly from yours (something you are strongly against), not with scoffing (something that usually accompany it because of our biases), but actively trying to get into that way of looking at the world, I am sure you would experience this fear like emotional response that I have.

Do you think it's possible to do at all?
Do you think it's a beneficial thing to do/try?
Have any of you tried anything like this?
Why are so many of us stuck to certain views and so afraid, or unable to change them?
..
I really think it could be beneficial (trying out as many realities (subjective, I should clarify as not to get into a nit pick argument about that) as possible) to avoid being held a captive in one outlook for the rest of your life, keeping you away from new information because your idiotic self with it's concept of reality refuse you to.

If I expect people to try out being god/spiritual free for instance, I guess I should also try to give god/spiritualism a try? And a damn good one at that. I can't see how I can do it though. Well, at least it will get me a better understanding of it if not anything else.

Oh, and why not: DaBlob, or any other christians (or people of another faith), will you go with me on a path into something new? Yes, that means, for you, something not including God (or another god), and for me something including it.
Or it could be from a liberal to a conservative or whatever else opposing what you currently are.
It should at least be worth a try.

 

[Zionoxis]

First, I am going to start and say I am a strong believing Christian who takes the side of non-denominational (if anyone cares). As far as transforming, what are you saying? To completely change what you believe or to simply practice something different?

You are almost saying that you wish to just magically start liking oranges if you originally had a deep distaste for oranges. I find it hard to change something that you have liked/disliked for years in a matter of days. How would you plan to accomplish this task? Would you still believe an atheist, but instead, attend church and try to get an outlook or would you actually attempt to believe in a god? The first question with anything is a strong method of putting something into context.

 

[TheDrake]

Nietzsche's Ubermensch, though widely open to interpretation, can be seen to represent what it seems you are trying to get at.

From my interpretation, this means recognizing that part which is dominant in oneself and willfully bringing about the opposing, weaker part in oneself. The idea is to internalize external conflict in oneself in a controlled manner.

Left and Right are representing the same thing from different perspectives. If a person from the left considers the issue from the position of the right, a more comprehensive view of the issue becomes possible, and with that creative capacity to reshape the issue to more finely address what is essential becomes possible.

I recommend the book which I'm now reading: Nietzsche and Jung: The Whole Self in the Union of Opposites.

also, the philosophy of Transcendental Perspectivism might be worth checking out; it emphasizes the importance of respecting the emotional component of 'the other's' perspective.

 

[kantor1003]

Zionoxisstead:
Practically, I think it would amount to a peak look into other ways of thinking about the world and into other belief systems so I could increase my perspective. However, I want to go beyond just reading other -isms and -ists side of the story as this is something we most do already anyways. I want to believe it. If only, and I think preferably, for something like 3 month cycles. So, the quick answer to the question wether I'd like to believe in a god, for example, is yes. The point is that if I were to read a spiritualist magazine, I wouldn't want to read it as a rationalist, I would want to read it as a spiritual person would read it.
If this is achievable I don't know, but I imagine that if one spend enough time sucking in an alternative outlook, really trying to make it into something you stand by, I think one at least have a shot at making it.
The problem is though, that the point of this is to go through several outlooks, so I would have to change perspective every now and then (if not, I'll just get stuck in another system of thought, and it would undermine my whole reason for doing this in the first place) and this make it all the more difficult.

TheDrake:
That book sounds interesting (oh, and it has a kindle edition as well). I have to add that to my rapidly increasing "to read" list.
Also, thanks a lot for the wiki link. I haven't read, or heard about transcendental perspectivism before, so I'll get right to it.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Faking a worldview change isn't going to work. And, I'm not so sure that a radical transformation in your worldview is a very stable idea, for your well-being.

I have found long-term, slow transitions to have worked well for me.

Dave

 

[nexion]

Everything will happen in its own time. Just be still and wait. We each walk our own road. You walk yours, I walk mine, and anybody else walks his. Whether one ever finds someone else on his road or whether he stumbles onto another's road, I cannot say. But we do do each walk our own road.

Knowledge is key. Knowledge will change you, for better or for worse. It will force you to change the direction in which you are walking.