Are Your Beliefs Changeable?

March, 2011

Do you think this represents a changeable belief?

I was once at a social gathering where I participated in a discussion about what beliefs are and whether a person should change what s/he believes. We weren’t long into the discussion before the topic of religion came to the forefront. Immediately, the discussion became more of an argument or debate. It seemed that introducing the topic of religion evoked a strong emotional response from almost everyone. This was especially true when I asked the question: “Do you ever change your beliefs?“

How would you answer the question in the previous paragraph? I don’t know about you, but I immediately said: “Yes, of course I have and will change my beliefs.” The instant I said that, there was an unbelievable response and not all of it was positive. There were some, especially those who admitted they are religious, that said they believed what their religion “said” and they would never change their belief(s). One person even said: “I no longer believe what my religion taught me, but I still believe in my religion.” Frankly, I found that statement to be really confusing.

"I no longer believe what my religion taught me, but I still believe in my religion."

So, if you really think your belief isn’t true, then why would you not change it? If you really believe something is true, then why would you want to change that belief? In fact, if you really believe something is true, then how can you possibly change that belief without being untrue to yourself? Wouldn’t you end up betraying yourself?

Shakespeare, in his play, Hamlet, wrote: “To thine own self be true.” As much as possible, I try to follow that motto. I think that what we believe should not be a fixed belief. We must be true to ourselves or end up living outside of reality. History is filled with examples of people not willing to change their beliefs in order to make what they believe fit reality. Examples like the “world is flat” and “the holocaust didn’t happen” come to my mind, as examples, immediately.

I know some people have very deep and fundamental beliefs that they profess they would die for. Often times, these beliefs have to do with fighting for country, family or religion. In general, I am not talking about these types of core beliefs. Although we never know for sure, beliefs that we would die for can usually only be verified during “battle.” Having stated that, many of our beliefs are not matters of life and death, per se, with so much depending upon the beliefs. For example, I used to believe in Santa Claus as a real live person who had the gift of being able to ride in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and deliver gifts to every home in the world. I no longer believe in a Santa Claus that has that ability. I changed by belief! :-)

"I'll change my beliefs!"

 

In summary, I think most of our beliefs must be assessed like any other part of our thinking. If a belief is working for us, by empowering us to be better people, then leave it alone. If it isn’t, then change the belief. There are many examples in history that reflect people who had beliefs that led to great success. Use those as a starting point and create a set of beliefs that makes you a better person. Simple, yes. Easy, no.

I believe a comment is in order. :-)


2 Comments | R2, Ron Rogers, Writing for learning | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ron Rogers

Who Should You Be?

February, 2011

Who should you be? The only person who isn't taken. YOU!

Who should you be? Probably, you know the answer, immediately! Who should you be? The only person who isn’t taken. YOU! :-)

"People who are trying to not be themselves are fighting against themselves!"

On the surface, this sounds obvious, but many of us are often not trying to be the “only person who isn’t taken.“ The people who are trying to not be themselves are fighting against themselves. They are literally living a lie. This is a lie that can only be corrected when they are true to themselves.

Ok, so let’s assume you agree that you should be yourself. How do you do it? How many times in the past have you had the opportunity to be yourself and instead, chose to be something different? For example, perhaps you wanted to impress someone by pretending you had a lot of experience that you didn’t really have. Maybe you purposefully implied that you knew something that you didn’t know in order to make a favorable impression. In order to be yourself, you will have to “unlearn” all of these parts of you that have been misrepresented.

Really, is it more risky to be yourself compared to someone else?

Is it risky to be yourself? As you unlearn the parts of you that aren’t the real you, you will have to take risks. Most likely, the main reason you were not yourself in the past is due to not wanting to risk your self-esteem. Yes, being yourself involves risk. But, not being yourself often results in living a lie. And, living a lie is often risky because you have to be concerned/worried about others discovering the truth. In other words, there is risk involved no matter which route you take – trying to be yourself or someone else. So, why not be your true self?

So, again, how do you do it? What are some techniques that you can use - other than unlearning the parts that aren’t really you? One technique is to try being yourself for just one day. For one day, do only what your inner-self “tells” you to do. Forget or unlearn what isn’t the real you and do what you think reflects what your inner-self thinks you should do.

This is the way I express myself! :-)

Another important consideration when trying to be yourself is the need to express yourself – to show the world who you really are. This need is demonstrated in many ways. Some examples of this need expressed, at different age levels, are: an infant’s cry, a teenager’s stylish expression and an adult’s need to display maturity. It’s natural to want to express yourself and it’s important to make sure the “person you are expressing” is YOU!

We all have a deep psychological drive to be “present in the present.” In other words, we all have needs that can only be satisfied in the present. The greatest of these needs is to make clear to the world that “I am!” This is closely related to the identity statement of, “I am me” or “I am who I am.” The point is that you are who you are and not someone else. It is natural/normal for you to want your presence recognized and valued by others. It is much more difficult for that to happen when you are trying to not be yourself.

In summary: trying to be yourself, doing what your inner-self tells you to do and satisfying the need to express yourself, leaves you with only one true path to follow in life – your path. Perhaps, Shakespeare said it best in his play, Hamlet: “To thine own self be true.“

Who should you be? The only person who isn’t taken. You! :-)

Leave a Comment » | R2, Ron Rogers, self-improvement, Writing for learning | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ron Rogers

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