[reasonisfaith]

But when I ask whether something is true or not, you know exactly what I mean.

Meaning is what’s important, not the symbols used to convey meaning.

[reasonisfaith]

So we’re back to cognitive dissonance, and how it isn’t a truth detector.

If a scientist encounters evidence disproving his favorite hypothesis, he will experience cognitive dissonance. In many cases, this will cause him to reject the evidence.

This is why Bacon said we believe what we prefer to be true, and it’s the reason we use the double blind method

[BroJoeK]

reasonisfaith: "But when I ask whether something is true or not, you know exactly what I mean.
Meaning is what’s important, not the symbols used to convey meaning."

Of course, but we are talking informally, FRiend to FRiend, where words like "true" and "proof" or "belief" are used loosely to express our confidence in an idea.
I'm merely hoping to point out that science, strictly defined, doesn't do that, but sticks to a strict scientific vocabulary which excludes such terms.

Is that a problem for you?