I Like That View
Why do you believe what you believe?
How do you form your beliefs?
Can you give a reason for the opinions that you hold?
How do you go about determining truth?
Hopefully this isn’t the first time you’ve pondered these questions.
Opinions are everywhere. Arguments are pervasive.
News. Blogs. Facebook posts.
With social media comes a whole new way for people to voice their opinions, to argue, and sadly, it gives us the opportunity to communicate hate and disrespect towards those who disagree with us.
What it should do is challenge us to go deeper, to understand more greatly, and to walk with stronger convictions, knowing our beliefs have been scrutinized, tested, and proven.
I want to challenge all of us to stop and think about why we believe what we believe. There are many ways to form our beliefs, whether it’s our religious beliefs, political beliefs, moral beliefs, or even our beliefs about truth itself.
Do you use reason and logic?
Do you depend on your senses? Do you have to see it to believe it?
Do you rely on your personal experiences?
Do you trust an outside authority or expert?
Do you embrace science as a way of determining truth?
All of these are good ways to form our beliefs. They are useful in determining truth. None of them are entirely reliable, and so I imagine you are using some combination of the above. Hopefully, as you form your beliefs, you are aware of the methods you use.
What concerns me is that too many of us form our opinions based upon our own prejudices. We believe something to be true because it is in our best interest. We hear an idea and we like it, so we conclude that it must be true. Our convictions change with our circumstances.
Truth cannot be determined by our personal preferences. Just because I want something to be true does not make it true. Forming our opinions based upon our preferences leads to inconsistencies and contradictions within the framework of our beliefs.
If we are honest and diligent in forming correct beliefs, if we are willing to take them to their logical conclusions, we will find ourselves believing things that we don’t like. We will believe things that we wish weren’t true. But the end result will be a consistent, cohesive belief system that can be defended, not by name-calling, not by discrediting those who disagree, but through a process of intelligent, systematic reasoning.
Please share how you form your beliefs and what methods of the ones I listed (or others that I didn’t include) you tend to use.
For a minute there, I thought you were describing Democrats, but I guess we all suffer from a little of it. Thanks for sharing
Lol! My dad published an article on logical prejudices called, “Seeing the World Through Our Own Eyes.” I love that title! We all have tendencies towards logical prejudice. However, those who embrace relativism (which seems to be more prevalent among democrats) are especially guilty of this.
I’ll steal this quote from his article:
“Another important branch of self-knowledge is, for a man to be acquainted with his own prejudices, or those secret prepossessions of his heart, which, though so deep and latent, that he may not be sensible of them, are often so strong and prevalent, as to give a mighty, but imperceptible, bias to the mind.” -John Mason, Treatise of Self-Knowledge (1745)
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hi Stephanie.
I was in a meeting today at work where we were brainstorming to seek consensus on a solution to an engineering problem. 7 people involved, but the choices soon narrowed down to 2 — mine and a 24-year coworker/friend’s approach. We each had deep conviction in our rationale, but we’re both ego-less enough to listen intensely too. After awhile he said “Jeff I’m starting to come over to your side.”. I laughed and said “well when you get all the way over here you might be alone, because I’m about convinced that i should come over to your side.” Sure enough, in a few more minutes we had swapped positions completely. This was possible because we were both open minded and humble enough to LISTEN and allow our minds to perceive alternative views.
Unfortunately, political ideology is a more difficult backdrop than electrical engineering against which to lower one’s guard and accept another’s approach to things. But empathy for other people’s views, at least long enough to conduct a civil exchange of opinions, is something I’m focusing on for awhile over in my blog home. I hope you’ll drop in, Stephanie. Nice to make your blogquaintance.
- Jeff
I love that story! So uncommon these days.
I appreciate that you are promoting respectful debate. I will check out your blog!
Thanks for your comments!
Great topic, Stephanie. Truth is something you have to seek, and the source of all truth is God and His word. Ever hear someone say, “I just know in my heart, that it is true!” The Bible tells us that our hearts are desperately wicked and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), That is why we cannot rely on how something makes us feel or what our hearts are telling us. . . and we so easily accept the words of others as truth, especially if that person has high social status, has wealth, is emotional about it, or is in a position of influence (Politician, pastor, parent). Compare all things said to scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21: But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good) and don’t be afraid to dig deep into it, read commentaries, and above all, ask God for His mind on the matter. “You have not, because you ask not”. Truth is precious and valuable, do not be lazy in your pursuit of it. Believing a lie can cost you your very life.
That brings to mind this verse from Colossians, which I always try to keep in in mind in my pursuit of truth…
“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” ~ Col. 2:2-3
I have been spending more and more time learning about love. Matthew 22;36-40: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. It all starts, and ends with love. Whatever you love the most, will dominate your life. I want to be dominated by Christ
So true! Thanks for your comments!