Perception Shapes Understanding

Children tend to attribute agency to inanimate objects, exemplified by their preference for whimsical explanations, such as rocks existing for bears to scratch their backs, over scientific ones. This behavior is leveraged by atheists to argue that humans have an innate tendency to misattribute agency where it does not exist, drawing parallels between children's reasoning and religious beliefs about the purpose of the universe. However, this insight can be viewed from another angle, suggesting that such preferences may be an inherent aspect of human cognition that influences how both children and adults seek meaning in existence.