Beliefs are not Facts

"We see what we believe rather than believe what we see.
-- Alan Watts

"If what you believe is actually true, you don't need to believe it.
-- Ron Smothermon

What are beliefs really? Beliefs are opinions, assumptions, prejudices, judgments, ideas, and attitudes through which everything you experience in life is filtered.

They're the psychological tools we use to interface with the world; that limited warehouse of stored knowledge we use to analyze, comprehend, categorize and interpret any given situation or event. They are the lenses through which we see the world.

Most beliefs are inherited. Many of your beliefs were probably inherited from your parents, grandparents, teachers, bosses, spouses -- whomever. And you've deduced a bunch of them from books, the media, magazines, movies -- whatever.

Your beliefs are based on information that was available when you formed them. Some of your beliefs are nearly as old as you. And beliefs you inherited from your parents were probably inherited from their parents, who in turn inherited them their parents and so on. There's no telling how old some of your beliefs are -- beliefs as old as the information they were based on. (We're not talking about tradition here, we are talking about beliefs -- we need tradition in our lives.)

Beliefs label your world. Beliefs dictate our experience whether we realize it or not. We automatically notice things we're expecting to see, because we're looking for them. In this way, the world largely conforms to our beliefs about it. The outer world is a reflection of our inner world. If you believe, for instance, that people are inherently bad, then you'll pay more attention to people doing bad things.

As you observe life, reality becomes one way -- your way. Your observations form a loop and reinforce your beliefs about the world. You'll look at the world and say, "yup, just like I thought!" Beliefs keep you in agreement with yourself.

Maintaining your beliefs feels safe mostly because they're familiar to you. They may feel safe, but in reality beliefs can be dangerous. On the pretense of helping you, they may be severely limiting. Though beliefs are supposed to define your world, they can often confine your world. They narrowly shape what and how you experience life. Sticking stubbornly to your beliefs is not a virtue if they're harming you. It's like driving your car with the brakes on.

You are responsible for your beliefs. Every once in a while you need a belief housecleaning. You need to pull them out, dust them off and take a cold hard look at them. Ask yourself: "Are my beliefs still working for me? Are they helping me or hurting me?" Common sense dictates we should evaluate our beliefs based on how they affect us and those around us.

Do you really want your mind possessed by static beliefs based on out-of-date or false information? Beliefs that limit your thinking and keep you from expanding your understanding of the ever-changing world around you? Beliefs that keep you from true fulfillment and personal development?

The world is constantly changing. It's a fact. However, to move forward - to evolve - you have to realize that beliefs are not facts. Your beliefs don't even necessarily reflect the truth. In fact, most of the time they don't. You may know what you believe, but believing is not the same as knowing.

But know this: Beliefs are not facts. Beliefs are just beliefs.


About The Author:
Rich Rahn's personal search for meaning has taken him to Spain, Florida, Cape Hatteras, California, a thousand miles off the coast of Mexico on a tuna boat, through hundreds of books, and eventually home to Michigan. But his real journey was his inner search. In his book Evolve Yourself, Rich introduces the reader to what he's discovered about life the pursuit of happiness. This article was excerpted from his book Evolve Yourself, published by Duh! Books, Bloomfield Hills, MI duhbooks@yahoo.com