ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the precise form of disagreement one may adopt depends on the interaction between experience, personality, and pragmatic concerns. Beliefs may thus be construed as our conclusions about the nature of the world. People who are limited to concrete forms of thinking form beliefs that are closely connected to physical reality. Similarly, someone with a great deal of expertise in a domain is likely to have not only more beliefs about their domain of interest than a novice, but also more strategic beliefs. At an objective level, in which beliefs may be assessed by multiple persons, the strongest beliefs are the ones that are supported by the most high quality, relevant evidence. While it is commonly assumed that having beliefs that are consistent with reality is one of the prerequisites of sanity, it is less often acknowledged that the degree of that consistency varies both across and within persons.
