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People Believe If 90% Prefer A over B, A Must Be Much Better than B. Are They Wrong?
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this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2025
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We haven't yet found a case where believing something literally makes it true, contrary to what religion and politics would have you think, so the answer is a resolute "can't say"
Yes and no. Beliefs can definitely shape reality.
If someone believes that they can't do something difficult, they often don't attempt it, so don't acquire the skills they would need, and stay unable to do it. The converse is also true.
Children are heavily influenced by their parents' beliefs about them.
Believing something about different brands of soda doesn't change the chemical composition of them, but in a world where products are judged on their sales rather than their chemical composition, changing the perception of a product can fundamentally change its sales, making it a better product by the only objective measure that's consistently used. This is even more true in the world of fashion, for example very strongly with trainers etc.
Anything where human behaviour changes reality is a place where beliefs change reality.
Our beliefs shape the world strongly and powerfully. They change reality.