A Foma gives confidence

Vonnegut says that a "foma" is a harmless untruth that sooths simple souls.

Dennett uses the image of Dumbo believing that the magic crow feather makes him fly.

Believing that the Creator of the Universe is really on your side in your struggles to make it in the world gives you a lot of confidence. Confidence is a necessary ingredient to success in practically anything worthwhile. The belief gives confidence which breeds success which reinforces the belief.

I would leave them to their beliefs if only they would change their ways about sex, pleasure, and the planet.

Metaphyics and Confidence

At some point you should realize that you disagree with most people in the world on the major metaphysical issues -- such as the existence and nature of God. Even if you belong to the largest church in the world -- the Roman Catholic -- still the majority of the people in the world are not Roman Catholic.

I am an atheist, which means that I believe that the vast majority of people who have ever lived on this planet are wrong on this fundamental question. What does that mean?

William James did not want to be arrogant, and so his metaphysical pluralism is a way of claiming finally to get the truth but really the truth is that everyone really has the truth. It is the metaphysical version of that old cliche -- having your cake and eating it too.

Why not rather have the confidence to embrace your own metaphysics? Yes, I believe that most people are wrong. But, my beliefs do not require having other people agree. And many people seem do derive good things from their wrong beliefs. So, who am I to complain? Perhaps it is an example of Vonnegut's "foma."