Critical Thinking: Why Would Someone Believe That Another Person Has All The Answers?

If one was to come across someone that had a deeper understanding of something, it doesn’t mean that they would end up putting this person on a pedestal. As a result of this, the other person will be seen as knowledgeable but one won’t perceive them as being better than they themselves are.

Ultimately, one is still going to see this person as a fallible human being; not someone who is more-than-human. One is then going to have a balanced outlook and they will continue to think for themselves.

Playing Their Part

This person might know a lot about a number of other areas too, but that won’t mean that they will know everything. There is also a strong chance that one will know more about something than this person does.
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And even when they do hear about what this person knows, it doesn’t mean that they will simply swallow everything that they hear. They are still likely to think about what they hear and to come to their own conclusions.

More Effort

Naturally, responding in this way is going to take more energy, but it will be better for them in the long-run. Firstly, they will be less chance of them accepting things that are not true and, secondly, it will stop them from becoming dependent on this person.

If they didn’t think for themselves, they would end up relying on this person to think for them, which would set them up to doubt their own ability to think for themselves. And the more that they doubted their own ability to think for themselves, the more reliant they would become on other people to do it for them.

The Downside

Through taking this approach, it is likely to mean that there will be times when they end up getting things wrong and making mistakes. Yet, making their own decisions will give them confidence and allow them to grow and develop.

Whenever something doesn’t go to plan, they will be able to reflect on what took place and to try another approach. Each time that this takes place, the more trust they are likely to develop in themselves.

Another Scenario

Now, although this is how some people will be, there are going to be others that have a very different approach. If someone like this was to come across another person that had a deeper understanding of something, they could instantly elevate them to a higher position.

Furthermore, they could believe that this person knows just about everything and believe whatever comes out of their mouth. This person is then going to be a human being, but they will be more-than-human in one’s eyes.

Cast Aside

The outcome of this is that one will have their own brain and the ability to think for themselves, yet it will be as if this isn’t the case. To use an analogy, their mouth will be open and whatever this person pours into it will be swallowed.

Consequently, before they make a decision or do anything, they might need this person to give them the all-clear. To use another analogy, one will be like a child and the other person will be like their parent.

One Example

This is something that could happen if one was to come into contact with a guru or someone similar. One could believe that this person knows everything and give all their power (and even their money) to them.

If this person says something, it will be accepted, and if they tell them to do something, they will do it. It might not be long until they end up paying the price for giving this person so much power over their life.

Caught Up

This person could make out that they know it all or they could encourage one to come to their own conclusions. Either way, one could believe that this person has a special connection to the truth.

Thus, unless they stay connected to this person, they won’t have access to this knowledge. In reality, this person – or anyone else for that matter – doesn’t have the monopoly on this source of information.

The Benefit

Irrespective of whether one places someone like this on a pedestal or someone else, they are going to gain something from it. If this wasn’t the case, there would be no reason for them to behave in this way.

What it will do is stop them from having to think for themselves and it will give them a sense of certainty. Not having to think for themselves will save them energy, whereas having a sense of certainty will settle their mind down.

Going Deeper

It has been said that the human mind is a cognitive miser, due to the human inclination to use as little brainpower as possible to solve problems. Still, although this may well be part of one’s nature, conserving their energy and not thinking for themselves is not going to be serving them

As for the sense of certainty that they gain through behaving in this way, this will be an effect of an illusion that their mind has created. If they were to take a step back and to reflect on why they have projected an all-knowing image onto another person, they may find that this allows them to avoid something in themselves that is too painful or them to face.

Awareness

Taking this into account, if one behaves in this way, they may have something inside them that they need to work through. If they don’t face what they have been trying to avoid, they will continue to give their power away.

When it comes to working through their inner wounds, they may need to reach out for external support. This is something that can take place with the assistance of a therapist or a healer. 

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk