Since you were old enough to think you developed beliefs about yourself, the world and your place in it. However, once a belief has developed we don’t often review or reflect on what we believe. Most beliefs sit within our unconscious only surfacing when they are challenged or when we reflect on them. The rest of the time they guide and influence our thoughts, behaviours and how we see the world.
Beliefs can be a great support or stand in the way of our success and happiness. Various forms of talk therapy will help us work through fears and traumas by questioning unhelpful or unhealthy beliefs. Philosophers will contemplate beliefs around life’s deepest questions to help make sense of life and the world around us. The average person does not spend much time considering their beliefs and may not even know what they believe on a number of important topics.
I encourage people not only to think about their beliefs but also to develop a type of personal philosophy that can guide them through life’s choices and challenges but also help them find meaning. What we believe is different from what we know. They are ways of conceptualising the world we live in without having all the detailed facts about any given idea or situation. If our beliefs are then based on what we believe is true rather than what we know is true, is there another way we can discern which beliefs to keep and which to discard?
Although it can be helpful to challenge negative beliefs by asking if they are true, if this is a difficult distinction to make a good alternative maybe to ask if what we believe is useful. There is no one right way to believe about religion, politics, or how to live life but with some reflection, each of us can determine whether what we believe is useful. Beliefs that build our confidence or help motivate us can be helpful while beliefs that keep us timid and afraid are not. It can then be a useful exercise to review your beliefs and ask if they serve you well and then work on making them true for you.
Many of our beliefs are based on assumptions, conditioning, and the interpretation of past life events, but it may be difficult to determine if they are true. For this reason, I encourage people to reflect on their beliefs in terms of their utility. Useful beliefs can help guide you to greater success and happiness.
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