georgerm Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 Is BF so scary and weird that many Americans remain in a state of denial? Denial (also called abnegation) is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.[1] The subject may use: simple denial: deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether If BF is real, we are dealing with an extremely stealthy, smart animal that can avoid human detection much better than any other large mammal on earth. It's stealth and physical powers are beyond imagination, yet we are seldomly harmed by this primate that has human qualities to it. If it desired to harm humans the results would be terrifying and brutal. Another reason for denial. This fact is too much for many to admit so they feel comfortable by putting it out of mind by using a mental defense called denial. Denial suggest that these people know it's true but the truth is too scary or traumatic to admit. Is this true in your opinion? How can we bring the public out of this mental state so we can get on with the discovery? If most Americans could get on board with the movement to discover BF, we will obtain the facts more quickly. Do you agree?
Guest OntarioSquatch Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I wouldn't label it as denial, but I think we have a strong tendency to fear the unknown. Interesting how a new species of bird can be easily accepted, but when it comes to Bigfoot It's so much more convenient to go with a skeptical point of view.
Guest BFSleuth Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 Not to stray into politics or religion, but I've seen some pretty amazing denials from friends and family that ascribe to a world view that cannot possibly include such a creature.
georgerm Posted May 22, 2012 Author Posted May 22, 2012 (edited) So many people deny BF exists in a hurried weird manner. Why? The reaction from people is so different when asked if there are new and undiscovered birds in the woods. The same goes for germs or any other living thing other than Bigfoot. I wouldn't label it as denial, but I think we have a strong tendency to fear the unknown. Interesting how a new species of bird can be easily accepted, but when it comes to Bigfoot It's so much more convenient to go with a skeptical point of view. Many skeptics seem to maintain good scientific grounding while denialist are unusual. Denialist seem to want to put something so terrible out of mind and quickly.. We see a terrible accident on TV, we believe it, but want to bury it deep on our consciousness and fast.. It's too painful to admit it's true. If we had a nation of skeptics they would reply, "I don't know enough about it to deny its existence. We are gradually getting to the bottom of the mystery through good research. The jury is not in yet." This answer implies a scientific manner of thinking which many Americans usually possess except when it come to BF where ignorance rules. Why? Edited May 22, 2012 by georgerm
Guest JiggyPotamus Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I totally believe this. And it is even more frustrating...Reason being that it is aggravating enough having to deal with non-believers, and then there are people who have had experiences that still don't believe...I don't think that is a very average occurrence however, luckily. I think that there are those who have not had an experience that are in denial, simply because they think it is impossible. Humans are too smart and too many to miss this huge animal walking around in our forests. So to acknowledge that this is the case is scary to them, since it upsets their belief system. So I agree with what you said, and I think it does happen.
Guest Kronprinz Adam Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 ...If BF is real, we are dealing with an extremely stealthy, smart animal that can avoid human detection much better than any other large mammal on earth. It's stealth and physical powers are beyond imagination, yet we are seldomly harmed by this primate that has human qualities to it. If it desired to harm humans the results would be terrifying and brutal. Another reason for denial. This fact is too much for many to admit so they feel comfortable by putting it out of mind by using a mental defense called denial. Denial suggest that these people know it's true but the truth is too scary or traumatic to admit. Is this true in your opinion?... Hi Georgem!!! Interesting idea!!! It is possible that some witnesses still want to belief that they have seen some weird bear or black thing...and they give no credit to what their eyes have seen!! On the other hand, other witnesses recognize (maybe after some time) that they have seen a Bigfoot. Is Bigfoot dangerous? There is little evidence of Bigfoot killing or kidnapping people, besides a few cases of Bigfoot raiding farms at night and harming small animals. How many rural communities have been terrorized by Bigfoot? Boogy Creek? But we are entering into the realm of the "rural" legend.... I agree that this is an stealthy animal that avoids detection. Should be very curious and intelligent as well. I think they should be the least of our concerns (at least, when hikers and hunters do not enter Bigfoot territory). I think what we need is more information, so trying to understand the creature and reduce our fear and lack of knowledge about them. For sure, they will be just trying to survive and protect their families. I hope some way shold be developed to study these creatures without harming them....(hidden cameras? robotic drones, helicopters and blimps?) Greetings. K. Adam.
Guest BFSleuth Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I chuckle when I think of that guy in the hunting forum that still insists he saw some kind of bear walk on two legs and carry off his deer kill, walking away on two legs. That has to be some kind of bear!
Guest Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I don't really think it's denial personally. I think it's guilty by association. For years people have used the big three when referring to outlandish stuff that just couldn't possibly be true. Ex: "Well, put that right up there with those people that believe in UFO's, Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster." BF has become synonymous with the outlandish, the can't be true. So people who've never gave it much thought automatically lump even the mention of it in with the c word. I don't think common folk give it enough credence to be in denial about it.
Rockape Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I don't know. I'm not in denial but I find the thought of running across a BF out in the woods a scary prospect. I am resonably certain they are harmless but knowing my luck I would run across the only physically aggresive BF in North America. And even if it wasn't it would probably scare me to the point of hurting myself trying to run away.
georgerm Posted May 22, 2012 Author Posted May 22, 2012 (edited) I chuckle when I think of that guy in the hunting forum that still insists he saw some kind of bear walk on two legs and carry off his deer kill, walking away on two legs. That has to be some kind of bear! He either in denial, totally ignorant of BF, or content with nonbelievers.. We on the forum know much about BF while others are not in denial but in a state of ignoramce. This is normal since BF doesn't appear in many science textbooks. But the ones that have read newspaper articles, watched BF on TV, and have listened to eye witnesses must simply be in various states of denial when they react negatively after BF enters a conversation. simple denial: deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether The ones in denial probably think of BF as being and unthinkable and horrible beast that is not pleasant to talk about. BF creates bad feelings and thoughts so it becomes buried and pushed out of the human mind. This is a form of wishful thinking. Can those in denial be brought out of this mental state or do we just ignore them when they lash out after BF is brought up in conversation? It seems like denialist lash out in an aggressive harmful manner more than nonbelievers or the ignorant. Edited May 22, 2012 by georgerm
salubrious Posted May 22, 2012 Moderator Posted May 22, 2012 Doesn't the phrase 'cognitive dissonance' apply here? A bear than can carry away its prey in its hands? As a people, we don't want to believe it because the implications are profound. How much else that is accepted as common fact is also then not true (that happened to me...)? I've taken a few classes at the tracker school in NJ over the years. They think you are nuts if you talk about BF. OTOH, if I talk about some of the stuff they teach to students successfully on an on-going basis, 'BFers' will think that is nuts too Fact is there is a lot more to life than we admit to- we humans have greater abilities than we will acknowledge, and greater failings (perception and awareness being pretty high on the list) than we will admit to as well.
Guest BFSleuth Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 Cognitive dissonance certainly applies. Kind of like that moment when you first find out Santa Claus doesn't exist. Calls into question all those things your parents told you. "What!? Next thing you're going to tell me the Easter Bunny isn't real!?"
Guest toejam Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 My first close vocal encounter (which consisted of 3 low end whoops, "chest thumps" and a limb break) between 2 of them left me bewildered, awestruck, dumbfounded, instantly knowing yet completely in denial (It was a life changing moment). Took me only a couple days to get over it but it wasn't the first time. Another weekend with 2 visits to camp banging on the truck, 2 limb breaks (immediately prior to the truck banging), bipedal steps heard and a tree "pushover" immediately after some rock clacking from us, again left me with that feeling of denial. Naw, it couldn't be. It's just too close. They couldn't be right there. No way. It's taken several instances to date and I'm finally starting to accept what could entirely be them. It's been a long process getting over the denial even with multiple incidents. I can only imagine how most feel not having anything to go on.
Guest Check Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 I wouldn't say denial so much as skeptical... I imagine people are more likely to attribute their experiences to 'something that can't be explained' moreso than 'I deny that happened at all'.
Guest Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 There's "scary" in the physical threat sense, and certainly given all I've read about BF I'd be more than a little leery of meeting one under any other conditions than one of us safely behind protective barriers. Then there's "scary" in the intellectual/conceptual sense. BF, IMO is a fundamental challenge to science as an institution, and to many peoples' belief systems, religious and secular. Existential challenges tend to be perceived as threats and treated similarly.
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