Have you ever questioned what you've been taught to believe? People believe many things because there are many things to believe. One typically lives their life according to what they believe is true. And for this reason, it is critical for one to take a very healthy liking to the history surrounding ones core beliefs.
I started this blog because I was wondering if I was the only one who has researched the history surrounding their core beliefs. I've always wondered why I thought about things the way I did. I know there are lots of things that shape our perceptions, but I needed to know exactly where those things originated . What prior events lead each generation to be so sure about some things and so unsure about other things?
I recently heard on the Science Channel that the mind has more connections than the universe has atoms. That was one of the most amazing things I've heard. Then I thought about the gravity of that postulation. One does not need to be a historian to look back and see how dangerous the mind can be. I've answered a lot of questions related to my beliefs - especially through studying psychology. I'm not trained as a psychologist, but we are all in some way or another, psychologist; the question is, to what degree? My goal is not to water-down the discipline of psychology. But in my research, psychology has shown me how fragile and susceptible the mind can be.
Government politics is one of the most obvious examples of how ones beliefs are exploited. I once heard a political pundit say, "if you continue to tell people the same lies, they will start to believe them." Unfortunately, politicians do this well! If need be, they'll change their "core beliefs" depending upon the political climate. I assume that most people can tell a lie from the truth, especially when there's a record of both opposing claims. The most famous reason I've heard a politician give for a major flip-flop was that they're older and their ideals have evolved. I know it's not an impossibility, but this is from a candadite that was already in their fifties. Strangely, their core ideals always seems to fit into the popular national sentiment of the time. The opinion polls usually reflect the candidates that have done the best job of aligning themselves with the mood of the majority opinion. This is how politicians manipulate people to win contests.
In order for one to make rational decisions, one must first know what it means to be rational. Then one needs to know a bit about reason. I'm not going to get deep into the philosophy of either subject at this point, but it is important to get familiar with both subjects. My next post will touch on both reason and rationale a bit more. It will focus on history, and how we make sense of it. The post will be entitled, "Did It Really Happen?: A Look Into Historical Credibility," what we can say happened for sure and what is simply too speculative. A later post will be entitled, "Is God Real?" It will discuss the psychology of religion and why religion is still relevant.
I am not a professor of any kind. I am an ordinary citizen who studies and reads the information that is available to everyone - professors included. This blog is not meant to try and convince anyone of anything in particular. It is meant to get people to take full responsibility for exploring, as in-depth as possible, their own core beliefs. The only way anyone can contest or agree with me is if they already know what I know, know more than I know, or if one takes the time to explore the subject matter discussed.
No comments:
Post a Comment