Understanding Misbelief/Are You Still Certain?

Caution – the statements in this list were deliberately chosen to be controversial and provocative. Do not continue this exercise if it causes you undue emotional distress.

Rate each of the following statements^[1] on a scale from 1 to 7 according to your degree of certainty, where 1 = definitely true, and 7 = definitely false.

1. A new world order is controlling global politics.
2. A woman’s place is in the home.
3. Abortion is murder.
4. Affirmative action is necessary to address historical injustices.
5. AI and automation will destroy more jobs than they create.
6. AI will surpass human intelligence and control society.
7. America was built on stolen land.
8. Atheists cannot be moral without religion.
9. Barack Obama is a Christian.
10. Barack Obama was born in the United States.
11. Billionaires should not exist.
12. Black lives matter.
13. Black people are lazy and stupid.
14. Bleach is a safe and effective cure for COVID-19.
15. Capitalism is the best economic system.
16. Censorship of hate speech is necessary for a just society.
17. China is the greatest threat to global stability.
18. Christianity is a force for good in the world.
19. Climate change is primarily caused by human activity.
20. Colonialism benefited the colonized.
21. Communism has never been truly tried.
22. Consensual sex is a beautiful thing.
23. COVID-19 lockdowns were unnecessary and harmful.
24. Critical Race Theory should be taught in schools.
25. Donald Trump was the legitimate winner of the 2020 election.
26. Drug use should be decriminalized.
27. Feminism has gone too far.
28. Feminism is necessary for gender equality.
29. Free markets lead to the best outcomes for society.
30. Free speech should be absolute, even for hate speech.
31. Gender is a social construct.
32. Gun control reduces crime.
33. Hitler got it right.
34. Illegal immigration is a major threat to national security.
35. Immigration strengthens a nation’s economy.
36. Immigrants are dangerous criminals.
37. Islam is a religion of peace.
38. Israel has the right to all of historic Palestine.
39. Ivermectin is a safe and effective cure for COVID-19.
40. Jesus rose from the dead.
41. Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election freely and fairly.
42. LGBTQ+ rights should supersede religious freedoms.
43. Life ends at death.
44. Marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
45. Mary gave birth to Jesus before having sexual relations.
46. Might makes right.
47. My religion is the one true religion.
48. Objective reality exists.
49. Palestinians have the right to all of historic Palestine.
50. People on welfare do not deserve my hard-earned money.
51. Police disproportionately target minorities in the U.S.
52. Powerful leaders are preferable to wise leaders.
53. Private prisons should be abolished.
54. Reincarnation is the way of the universe.
55. Religion should be removed from public schools.
56. Religious beliefs should influence laws.
57. Reparations for colonialism should be paid.
58. Reparations should be paid for Native American land theft.
59. Reparations should be paid for slavery.
60. Reverse racism is a myth.
61. Rich people are more worthy than poor people.
62. Russia is the greatest threat to global stability.
63. Sex work should be legalized.
64. Sinners burn in hell.
65. Socialism leads to economic collapse.
66. Species originate because of biological evolution.
67. Systemic racism is a myth.
68. Tariffs are the answer.
69. The 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen.
70. The 9/11 attacks were an inside job.
71. The Bible condemns homosexuality.
72. The Bible is the literal word of God.
73. The British monarchy should be abolished.
74. The Catholic Church has caused more harm than good.
75. The CIA has secretly manipulated global events.
76. The Confederate flag is a symbol of heritage, not hate.
77. The COVID-19 pandemic originated from a laboratory in China.
78. The Crusades were justified.
79. The death penalty is a just form of punishment.
80. The earth is more than 4 billion years old.
81. The earth is nearly spherical.
82. The Founding Fathers supported slavery.
83. The free market alone can solve climate change.
84. The Great Replacement theory is real.
85. The Holocaust happened as recorded by historians.
86. The January 6th Capitol riot was a peaceful protest.
87. The January 6th Capitol riot was an insurrection.
88. The media is biased against conservatives.
89. The media is biased against liberals.
90. The minimum wage should be abolished.
91. The nuclear family is the foundation of a stable society.
92. The pope is infallible.
93. The problem is (blame your favorite scapegoat).
94. The Qur'an promotes violence.
95. The rich should be taxed at a much higher rate.
96. The right to free speech is absolute.
97. The Second Amendment should be repealed.
98. The South won the American civil war.
99. The state of Israel has a right to exist.
100. The U.S. military budget should be significantly reduced.
101. The U.S. should be a secular nation.
102. The U.S. was founded as a Christian nation.
103. The United Nations is a corrupt globalist institution.
104. The United States is an imperialist power.
105. The universe is approximately 13.7 billion years old.
106. The wage gap between men and women is a myth.
107. The war on drugs has failed.
108. There are exactly two biological sexes.
109. There should be no restrictions on gun ownership.
110. Trans athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
111. Trans women are women.
112. Universal Basic Income is the future of work.
113. Universal healthcare is a human right.
114. US Astronauts walked on the moon.
115. Vaccines cause autism.
116. Vaccines should be mandatory.
117. We need powerful leaders who will fight.
118. White people are superior.
119. White privilege is real.
120. Wokeness is destroying Western civilization.
121. Women should be drafted for military service.

1. ↑ ChatGPT assisted in generating this list.