Belief

Belief shapes everything about us – from who we marry to who we hate, where (and what) we eat, the names we give our children –  it even controls whether or not we decide to HAVE children. And yet, our beliefs are some of the least talked about, and least questioned, parts of ourselves. How often do you REALLY stop and look at yourself, at your choices, prejudices, and yes – beliefs? How often do you question them? Or have they just always BEEN there, in the background, the result of where you were born and who your parents are, the year you came into this universe, or some random twist of fate? There are  religious faiths – and political thoughts – that actively discourage questioning or exploration of other belief systems – the very thing that ultimately leads to self realization, and forward momentum as a society. Without those questions we can never know which beliefs are our own, and which are someone else’s.

Asking these questions of ourselves is hard. It’s uncomfortable. But blind acceptance – that’s the surest path to ignorance, to false belief, to actively harmful behavior.