What are beliefs?
Where do beliefs come from?
We all have certain beliefs that arise from our sense of what we value. They may not be starkly visible, even to ourselves but these beliefs are the roots of the course and unfolding of our lives. Beliefs seem to be a complicated concept. While acknowledging the depth that they possess, it is also important to know that simplicity lurks behind each individual’s core values.
All in all, I think beliefs are what shape us as human beings and they make us unique and develop our sense of individuality. It’s a simple idea that the values we nurture are what guide our decisions. But has anyone ever given a thought to how these values come to exist in our conscience?
Borrowing beliefs
I believe that these values can be traced back to our history and our upbringing. It’s an intriguing thought that perhaps our beliefs are not ours at all, but they are derivatives based on our surroundings. The way we are raised and the environment we are susceptible to can play a huge role in the formation of the beliefs we choose to abide by in our future. I’m not saying that all beliefs are blindly formed. I also agree with the point that our subconscious minds have put in a large amount of work into inscribing some core beliefs into our systems. As we grow older our beliefs imbibe more details from our surroundings. For instance, up to a certain age, our beliefs are reflections of our parents’ beliefs. Your parents do not have to force their beliefs onto you for this to happen. It is only natural for us to agree with our own parents’ views based on how they enforce them in their own lives. For example, children from theist families will have a higher tendency to believe in god because the culture and rituals of their families align with those beliefs. The same logic can be applied to complicated concepts such as religion, as well as simpler concepts such as health, education, self-esteem, etc.
It isn’t a crime to follow someone else’s path when it comes to beliefs, and to condemn this tendency in yourself is vile. But as you grow older, blindly clinging to these values can depreciate your confidence in yourself. What I mean by that is you may know what you believe in but you won’t know why you believe in it so strongly.
Types of beliefs
In this article, I’ve mentioned the word ‘beliefs’ often, but I think that there is a vast difference between the formation of basic beliefs and what I call ‘strong’ beliefs. Basic beliefs have the exemption of being derivatives. On the contrary, Strong beliefs are those that you base on your own knowledge and understanding of the subject.
In my experience, it is rare for people to go back to the roots of their morals and strengthen those by gaining more knowledge about them. Strong beliefs begin forming past a certain age, but that does not mean that you solidify them. Strong beliefs also have the potential to change with further experience, Thus, it is vital to not make them rigidities so as to maintain flexibility and room for growth in your principles.
I don’t mean to imply that you must in any way change or even alter your original values but I would strongly encourage that you at least reaffirm these values based on real-world evidence and experience. Not only will you gain more insight into your own decision-making process but you will also ground yourself more and be able to stand by your beliefs even in the toughest of times. Seeking knowledge about different belief systems can also offer countless unique perspectives, or it can further nurture your original morals.
Conclusion
Earlier on I mentioned that our beliefs most often arise from a sense of our values. I’d like to add that the search for morality is a subjective concept. Everyone has the right to their individual ideas and these cannot be distinguished as either absolutely right or wrong. What matters is the strength that your fundamentals possess and their credibility.
In conclusion, basic beliefs are necessary for your formative phases so you don’t feel lost or confused about how to go about things. Don’t sideline your basic beliefs because this article is not about dismissing old values and raising new ones. Rather, it is about affirming your beliefs with evidence-based ideas. Gaining insight into your core principles will only augment your individuality and deepen your understanding of yourself.
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