On beliefs

[YoungDemCA]

We all have beliefs. About ourselves, about others, about the world and the universe. Furthermore, specific beliefs are not innate; they are learned, and can be discarded in favor of new beliefs.

The problem, though, is when we become so attached to our beliefs that we become rigid and stubborn in our thinking, and when that happens, when we refuse to consider things from multiple points of view, we become dogmatic in the way we see the world.

This is not to say that we should have no beliefs at all. Far from it. Rather, we should have beliefs that are logically consistent, that help us more than they harm us, and that help us function in our daily lives as people who do good.

That's all I have to say in this opening post. I look forward to your responses here!

[defacto7]

1. I have to be careful of the word beliefs

because the definition to some include faith, and faith is not a concept that I can connect with. Faith requires no facts exclusively. It there were facts then it wouldn't be faith. I use the word trust because is requires some amount of reason before you can trust someone or something and your trust can change; faith cannot. If the word belief in based on trust, it's a word that works for me. But if it is in the context of faith, then the word belief is not one I can use. It depends on whom you are talking to.

[Bannakaffalatta]

3. faith, trust, belief,

conviction, working hypothesis, received wisdom... Yes, each of those words have different, significant, meanings and using them indiscriminately or inattentively tends to lead to misunderstanding.

We need trust - both to trust [select] other people and to earn the trust of others.

We need to believe - at least conditionally - experts, elders and instructors who have information we lack. We can't each research every area of knowledge and learn every skill required to get through life in a technologically complex society.

We need to obey - whether we believe in all of them or not - a set of external rules, such as traffic signage and city bylaws, that we can rely on other people to obey as well, to prevent chaos. We also need some conventions, like "please and thank you", stopping for pedestrians, not spitting on the floor, that most of us believe in strongly enough to make human community bearable.

We need a coherent set of internal rules to steer the moral course of our interaction with other people and the world. These are our convictions. Whether founded on the moral teaching of the OT or folk wisdom or 20th century political philosophy, this set of rules is compiled by each thinking person, after reflection and in the light of learning and experience, as interpreted through feelings. It's a complex structure - for some, a fragile one. Build it well, keep it in good repair, and it can withstand doubt, disillusionment, derision and even the victory of right-wing parties in federal elections.

[Dash87]

2. Another problem is the distortion of reality to fit beliefs.

People tend to ignore information that challenges their beliefs, and overplay information that supports them.