Sorry guys, starting heavy today.
What do you guys believe in?
Because it’s kind of a double-edged sword sometimes.
Do you believe in yourself? Is that a negative or positive belief?
Someone else? A leader maybe?
A deity? Which one?
A system? I hear socialism is popular this time of year.
A future? One WITH polar icecaps? Or mars colonisation?
Or are you adrift in an endless sea of ebb and flow, letting all control go to the never-ending tide of order and chaos as the fates will and you just get to be along for the ride until it spits you off this mortal coil never to be troubled by the burden that is existence in this physical realm ever again?
Yes, Brendan, that was pretty negative. But I promise there’s a reason.
And the reason is exactly the same as it always is…
Why?
Why is that what you believe in?
Why this person/god/system/fashion house/cat breed/serial killer/console system/existentialist dread inspiring potential future what you invest time and though and energy in? Does it make sense, or just feel right?
Even if you believe in nothing, why don’t you believe in anything? Is it just easier that way?
As usual, I’m trying to get to the bottom of why people do what they do and think what they think. And who/what they attach that motivation to do and think those things to.
Okay, on read back… that might have been a bit abstract. I’ll try again.
Where does your belief come from?
Why is that how you, and the world, works?
I’ll give you an example.
I enjoy listening to Jordan Peterson. And Simon Sinek. And Esther Hicks. And Jocko Wilink. And Rhonda Patrick. And Thomas De Lauer. And Siim Land (he’s Estonian, in case you thought his name was a little or a lot different).
Why do I enjoy the things these people have to say? I trust them. I trust myself enough to trust them. There is something about the level of conviction they have in what they say, from experience or research or perceivable authenticity, that gives me the confidence to listen to them and have belief that what they are saying will work for me. That, after considering the first few things I heard and saw from them, the things they say make sense to me. Or at least feel right to me.
Because I am who I am, I cant not assess what I’m hearing on SOME level, to make sure it aligns with what I feel is true and right for me. Admittedly that has less to do with the research some of these people are presenting and more to do with the concepts some are presenting as ways to think and live and be. Research and experience aren’t the same thing. Combining research and experience sounds like wisdom to me though. Which is why I listen to those people and try and experience and relate it to my own previous experience. To gain and grow wisdom.
Which in turn gives me further belief in myself. Admittedly, I started listening to these people BECAUSE I had enough belief in myself that I could learn and grow and become more than who I was. So, I sought out these mentors, these people to follow, because I believed I could be more and they could show me something about how. I have enough belief in myself to be confident in finding valuable people to help in gaining that wisdom.
But that doesn’t mean I’m prepared to let myself just listen to everything they have to say and do it blindly, without making some personal assessments on what I’m hearing relative to why that may or may not be worth incorporating into my thoughts and actions. Asking “why does that matter, and why does that matter to me” means I get to choose what I do and don’t act on.
Some of the beliefs we currently have got drilled into us as kids, before we were sophisticated enough to make that kind of call for ourselves. Which is another reason as to the value of asking WHY do I believe that? Where did it come from, why is it there, what purpose is it serving?
Yes Lillian, I ask why a lot. I really think you could do with asking it more too. But its also my belief that you need to live your life how it makes sense to you, so ill totally step away from that line of thought and let the seed be planted in that noggin of yours in its own time.
It might also worth noting, belief doesn’t necessarily have much to do with facts. Confirmation bias will do an awful lot to make CERTAIN it doesn’t.
I believe in the teachings of Horus and Odin. That’s not the same as worship or faith, but the lessons their stories teach are valuable and give me examples for how I want to live my life. That their stories give me a template as to how I want to be, treat myself, treat others.
I’d like to believe that the same is true of the more devout and faithful of us out there, that the teachings that those religions preach are valuable. But I could argue that faith and belief are nearly the same thing in practice, just with different starting points.
Maybe faith is belief without much in the way of evidence?... Something to think about if you’re bored maybe.
Anyway…
The question of asking why you believe in something, is to ask the further question of if it serves you.
Do your beliefs about red shirts and how you look in them make your life better?
Do you believe that following this person on Instagram and their booty/abs pics serve you and your life?
What about that particular spaghetti monster in the sky? Does its presence in your life give your actions and thoughts more valuable direction?
Do you believe in yourself? Is the belief telling you that you are awesome, or that you suck?
WHY is that there?
Because you act on your beliefs in a conscious and subconscious way. Which is why things are the way they are for you.
Are you happy with how things are for you?
Regardless of your answer, it’s a vicious (or pleasant) circle of beliefs creating actions, and actions creating beliefs.
If you don’t like it, start asking yourself some questions about what those beliefs are and why they’re there.
As weird as this sounds, I hope you surprise yourself. Its never not worth it.
Be kind, be smart, be your best you. No bar fights.
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” J. M. Barrie
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