The nature of beliefs

The human mind is a marvelous instrument but it has not been endowed with an inbuilt mechanism for distinguishing truth from falsehood. For thousands of years, we believed that the earth was flat, that the sun went around the earth, that men were superior to women, and that God made man one beautiful sunny morning. We are therefore capable of believing that which is false as true and that which is true as false. We believe opinions to be facts and facts to be opinions. There is nothing to stop us from believing unverifiable statements, superstitions, gossip, and rumors. We also get personal with our beliefs and tend to defend, protect, and propagate them. Since beliefs run our lives we need to be aware of this aspect of our mind before we become fanatical about any belief. Beliefs are to the mind what the Constitution is to a nation. It is the rulebook by which the mind conducts itself. It is the framework and boundary within which it operates. And, like a bureaucrat, it is quite obsessed with this rulebook.

We tend to believe anything that is written in a newspaper or a printed book or what is said on television or by great and forceful personalities. How do we know that they are not biased? This has serious implications. A false rumor on television is sufficient to start a riot. Hitler managed to hypnotize an entire nation into believing that they were the master race and that other races were inferior. That is why it is easy to create a terrorist. He can be infused with such a strong belief that he is willing to give up his life for it. Beliefs do not respect intelligence. Highly intelligent, rational, and logical people can be gripped by the most bizarre superstitious beliefs. Our neocortex is not powerful enough to handle beliefs that originate from deeper parts of the brain.

So why is our mind programmed like this? Is it because beliefs are based on trust? During our caveman days, if someone came running and told you that a pack of lions was closing in, you just had to run. You can’t ask him for a white paper on the subject. You don’t have time to verify the truth. Beliefs helped us survive. It was a question of life and death. So if you don’t believe someone it means you don’t trust him. But in today’s world of information overload, we just don’t know whom to trust and what to believe. Everyone seems to have their own agenda. Mind you, what most people say is out of good faith because they believe in what they say. But how objective are those beliefs? They themselves may not know.

In our everyday life, we need positive beliefs. We have to believe that we will live a long life and that we will come home safely and our house will not be burgled. If we did not believe these, we would never have peace of mind. Today we believe in freedom of speech, elections, safety of the environment, peace, the rule of law, democracy, and secularism. These were unheard of in the good old days. Kings believed that grabbing territory, killing people, looting, and taking slaves were their kingly duties and some of them were given the title of ‘Great’ for doing such dreadful things. A king who believed in peace, and live and let live was considered incompetent and weak. We have come a long way in the quality of our beliefs. Beliefs can bring both misery and happiness. The history of man can be said to be the history of his beliefs.

One of the ways of restraining the mind from believing something that could affect our lives in the long run is to ask ourselves a simple question — how do I know this is true? If you are not sure, it is time to be skeptical and examine it in greater detail if it has long-term implications. An unexamined belief is the greatest danger to mankind. Because of this tendency of our minds to believe something without thinking deeply about it, demagogues and ideologues have a field day. They know that as long as their voice carries conviction no one will doubt what they say. When they appeal to our emotions, logic seems to have no power over us and the belief system operates without hindrance. Rumors, superstitions, and speculations have free entry into our minds since we have not erected a barrier of skepticism on important matters.

We have not been trained in our education system to have the patience and inclination to think for ourselves or be skeptical and question beliefs. It is easier to go with the herd and believe whatever is trendy. Tradition and authority play a big role here. It is common to hear someone say — my father believed in this so I believe in it. Another classic explanation is to say it is written in the scriptures, which then puts an end to arguments of any sort since then the veracity of the scriptures is being questioned. It is high time we question some of these scriptures that were written long ago by persons who were conditioned by their own culture and tradition. Like everything else we need to revisit this area too and examine them in the light of current knowledge. There are too many unwanted beliefs in the scriptures that were probably relevant when they were written, but not now.

Many beliefs are handed down to us from the previous generation. Some are gathered by our unconscious without the knowledge of the conscious mind. We need to trace a belief to its source and question its basis and validity. If it is an irrational belief that harms others and us we need to root it out. If it is a harmless yet irrational belief then one can let it be. As it requires time, effort, and energy to carry out this exercise it is better to focus on the more important ones, those beliefs that affect our lives daily.

Some beliefs are born out of fear. Superstitious beliefs fall under this category. The Incas believed that human sacrifice could appease the wrath of gods. In the Middle Ages, witches were burned at the stake, as it was believed that they had evil powers. Religious and political beliefs have taken the heaviest toll on human lives. Some beliefs are self-serving. The belief that women are inferior to men gave men control and power and the basis to create a male-dominated society. Some beliefs like heaven and hell were created to maintain order in society. The belief that sinners go to hell and do-gooders go to heaven forced many to rein in their baser impulses. There are also beliefs that help some to feel superior to others. Belief in mind-made concepts of caste and race has created rigid social hierarchies and divided people as high and low. Some beliefs are perpetuated by movies. The rich are always arrogant and selfish and the poor are always humble in these movies, whereas the reality is quite different. But this belief is widespread and has created a rift between the rich and poor as though they are two different human species. We also tend to believe generalizations such as all politicians are corrupt. This has serious consequences since we will develop a very negative attitude towards every single individual belonging to such groups without knowing anything about them personally. But the most powerful false belief the whole of humanity is caught up in is that of our personal identity, of who we think we are. This has far-reaching implications for our individual happiness and that of human relationships. Unfortunately, most of us are going to have to live with this false notion of who we are for the rest of our lives. The inquiry into personal identity is the beginning and end of the spiritual pursuit.

For modern man, the fear of failure is the cause of the most debilitating belief of ‘I can’t’. Unless we cultivate a proper perspective and attitude towards failure it will continue to produce I cant’s. Failure is a signal to develop our capabilities, which are not there in sufficient measure right now, and no one has all capabilities in place. Failure will cause self-doubt, which has to be accepted as normal. It is common to hear people speaking of believing in oneself. But what does this oneself mean? The self is a complex word. In the context of belief what it probably means is belief in our capability, competency, and capacity to achieve results. This belief increases in proportion to the number of hits and successes in our endeavors. With every successful outcome, the belief in our capabilities increases. This is the basis of self-confidence. Failure has the opposite effect. We need proper structures in place to defend our self when a failure occurs so that it does not interfere with our next endeavor.

We need to get our understanding of believing in ourselves in the right perspective. Did Gandhi believe in his capabilities to liberate the nation when he took on the British? Unlikely. He just took the plunge and developed the capabilities as the movement progressed. Did the airline pilot who became the prime minister have all the capabilities in place? His charisma grew over time. Once you sit in the chair of authority and position the self-belief will grow on you. We are not born with a belief in our self. It develops as we go along. If we keep making decisions then our decision-making abilities develop and our belief in ourselves to make decisions becomes stronger. If we keep taking on more responsibilities our belief in ourselves to take responsibilities will grow. Compassion, love, and empathy are qualities that are developed as they are expressed. We don’t have to believe in ourselves before we express them. You don’t have to get it right either. You just do whatever you understand by those words. As you go along they will reveal themselves to you. If you have your heart set on something you just take the plunge and not keep waiting to believe in this self and that self. Believing in oneself therefore means knowing for a fact that this self of ours is created in such a manner that its competency, capabilities, and belief in itself will keep on increasing as it is exposed to more and more challenges.

Some people have a strong belief that God will take care of them in all circumstances. This is a dangerous belief if applied to all situations. If you don’t exercise and have a proper diet, God will not give you energy and health. If you don’t study, God will not write your examination. It is a belief that has to be used selectively. If we are faced with a high-magnitude calamity where fear and worry have engulfed us, then this belief can be invoked as a protective mechanism. It will prevent the subconscious from overwhelming us. Hope and supernatural support are powerful antidotes to fear and worry.

Discarding an existing belief or acquiring a new one has to be done with care, as it is a time-consuming activity. We have to be choosy. We also have to expect inner resistance and be prepared to work around the resistance. Beliefs can be fought only with other beliefs. Beliefs don’t like to die and they will fight back. Accept that as the normal behavior of beliefs. It is like weaning ourselves away from any habit. The mind has to be conditioned slowly through constant repetition of, and acting on, the new belief. The strategy is not to fight with the old belief, try to get rid of it, or irritate it by ridiculing it. That will only focus attention on it and keep it in the limelight. The idea is to withdraw attention from it, which is the source of its strength. We need to just keep strengthening the new belief. The new belief has to be pushed deep into the subconscious and made stronger than the old belief.

So how do we unearth the beliefs we hold deep in our subconscious? We have to go from effect to cause. Watch your behavior, actions, and language, and ask yourself what is the belief behind them. Even beliefs behind inaction need to be questioned. What is the belief behind our resistance to physical exercise? If we never do anything for society or others what belief is empowering it? The mind may not give us answers immediately. We need to keep contemplating until a satisfactory answer emerges.

What is the test of a good belief? We need to ask ourselves questions to determine whether a particular belief is good for us. Is it taking me in the right direction? Is it contributing to my growth? Is it improving my relationship? Am I becoming a control freak? Will it make life difficult for other people around me? What are the payoffs? What will happen if I let go of it? Will it bring me peace of mind? Will it make me less responsible? Can I live without this belief? Is it necessary that I have this belief? and so on. The most important beliefs we need to have clarity on are in the areas of cause and effect, relationships, marriage, money, career, health, religion, and personal growth. Beliefs are not static; they are dynamic. They also go through a process of evolution. We therefore need to upgrade our beliefs and go higher and higher. It is an ongoing exercise. Listening to great teachers and studying the lives of great men can help us in shaping our beliefs in the right direction.

If we want to be the master of our lives then we have to choose our beliefs wisely. We have to curb the most dangerous habit of believing everything our mind tells us, especially negative thoughts about us and others. Just because it comes from within our minds does not mean it is true. Behind every action, decision, and conclusion there is a belief. Behind every idea, there is a belief. There are also beliefs behind beliefs. Fortunately, we have the power to choose and change our beliefs. All it needs is an inquiring mind.