Ch. 3: Conviction Isn't a Choice

[DWill]

I ran across a sentence in Andrew Bacevich's book, The Limits of Power, that then made me think of this chapter in Burton's book. Bacevich: "Conviction follows self-interest." Burton, I feel, may err in using the word conviction to refer to a simple feeling of knowing, which, he says, is not under our conscious control. Conviction, as we commonly use the word, is not a matter of a simple sensation, but is rather more complex. If it is influenced by genetics or biology, that is one thing, but it is certainly not beyond our control and is a choice, I believe. Bacevich is right, we will typically profess convictions that mirror our self-interests. For example, if we want to ensure a supply of oil for our economy, we
express the conviction that Middle Eastern countries must be shown the way to democracy. Although I accept Burton's view on the limitations of our rationality, I think that we are capable of knowing our minds well enough to identify when self-interest is influencing our convictions and beliefs.