Why Do You Do What You Do: Truth or Incentives?

Blaise Pascal, once said, “People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof, but on the basis of what they find attractive.” Have you ever taken the time to reflect on what it is that primarily motivates all of us to make decisions? Is it based on what’s objectively true or what we find attractive? Are we following facts or are we more inclined to follow our desires and self-preservation?

It’s a brand-new year, and since many of us set goals for 2025, Frank is kicking things off with an investigation into how incentives can often lead both Christians and non-Christians away from the truth; how to recognize when we’re being influenced by cultural peer pressure; and how incentives have historically led the masses to do the unthinkable. Listen as Frank answers questions like:

Is it possible to pursue your self-interests and reason at the same time?

What are the 3 incentives that cause people to sin and what makes them so powerful?

Are incentives inherently wrong?

How do “normal” people become proponents and active participants of genocide?

Where do we see examples of incentives in our schools, workplace, and health care system?

What is the root cause of bad economic policy here in the United States and all over the world?

What’s the 2nd most important truth in the Bible for our culture today?

Why do many pastors avoid talking about controversial issues?

What’s the driving force on social media that often causes both kids and adults to throw Jesus and Christianity under the bus?

Let’s face it, we’re all tempted to do the wrong thing for what we tell ourselves are good reasons, but in reality we are incentivized to lie to ourselves. When incentives push you to lie or follow what you find attractive, will you be committed to denying yourself and following Christ? Or will you conform to the cultural norms, compromising the truth for comfort and acceptance like so many people of the past and present? Tough question that even Peter failed to answer rightly. Pray and choose wisely!

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Resources mentioned during the episode:

Book – ‘Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes’ – https://a.co/d/1dANcEz

Dr. Robert W. Malone on X: https://x.com/RWMaloneMD

Dr. Peter A. McCullough on X: https://x.com/P_McCulloughMD

Online Course – ‘Why Does God Allow Evil?’ – https://bit.ly/4gYjT5v

Online Course – ‘How to Interpret Your Bible’ – https://bit.ly/3BoEhxD

Blog Post – Sex at Work? https://crossexamined.org/sex-at-work

Book – ‘The Anxious Generation’ – https://a.co/d/b08gb1p

Blog Post – ‘The Anxious Generation’ – https://bit.ly/3zW4ySM