Collective Hunch

Okay, so maybe you're wondering what's up with the title of my blog. I had an English teacher in 11th grade -- Gail Egleston, one heck of a lady, she actually had my MOM as a student back in the day -- who, during some random conversation, said "Reality is a collective hunch . . . think about it." So I did, and I have, and I still am, and it's really a mind trip if you think about it. It's one of those philosophical things that doesn't really have an answer that can be proven, but I'm going to dissect it using movie-logic. Don't laugh, just try to follow me here --

The movie "The Village" (http://movies.about.com/od/thevillage/) by M Night Shyamalan (WARNING: I'm about to give away the surprise ending.) features a group of people who moved out of the city to live 1890s-style in the middle of nowhere. They raised their children in this lifestyle so, to the kids, it was 1890-whatever, and things like cars & planes & computers & Starbuck's didn't exist. Their "collective hunch" about what time period they were living in shaped their reality.

Okay, so the idea works with an isolated population when an idea is instilled at birth, but what if we were to take a group of adults and, a la "The Forgotten" (http://movies.about.com/od/theforgotten/, again, I'm going to give away the plot) you created this gigantic ruse to convince them that an idea or belief that they've had all their life is WRONG? I mean, we're talking a seriously well-planned ruse, with everyone around them reinforcing an idea contradictory to their own. Would it work? It's pretty much a given that it would require more time to get you test subjects to "un-learn" their ideas, but would they actually accept the new scenario you're providing, and make it their own reality?

I guess this gets us into wondering whose reality we're talking about. I mean, the only reality changing would be that of the participants, not of the observers; so if you give people a blue box, but everyone around them says it's red, and they eventually agree & believe that it's red -- the box itself hasn't changed, but in the reality of your test subject, it is red, because that is their collective hunch.

But what would happen if you ask the test subjects what color the box used to be? Would they say "it's always been red," or would they tell you that it was blue, but then it changed . . . AND if that was their answer, could they explain what caused the color change?

I know, I know -- I'm just trying to compete with R for the "Nerdiest Post Ever" award. How am I doing?