Wildfires Of Belief
Analyzing Unknown Variables and Universal Truths
There are beliefs and then there are facts, right? Or at least, that seems to be the obvious conclusion. I’d like to wager, though, that this is not the case at all. There are things that happen, and then there are the ways in which we communicate those things. It’s not always about whether or not the event occured, but it’s the implications and the communication following the event, that is disputable.
It is belief that spreads like wildfire.
The Difference Between An Opinion, A Belief, And A Fact:
- Opinions are consciously formulated thoughts that may or may not be applicable to our lives. They are comparable to judgements.
- Beliefs are embedded in our identification within the world and are often intrinsically tied up in our attachments. They are more or less, feelings.
- Facts are measured quantities boiled down to their first principles. They have been tested and proven under multiple circumstances and rely heavily on the statistics available.
To take a closer look at the phenomena that is “belief” — I will describe the commonly referred to belief systems, and then the cultural and linguistic nature of how beliefs can behold us all.
The Common Belief Systems
I think typically when people refer to beliefs, they are referring to religion or politics — which essentially boils down to philosophy, though that’s not the way people see it. There are more than a few major world religions that influence the lens through which people look at the world. In the western world, the religions that most people are familiar with or talk about are: Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism, and Atheism.
Though some of these are more world views than religions, I include them because each makes a claim (or anti-claim) about human origins, and each has a number of subset schools of thought. There are obviously more religions that exist other than these, and within each of these religious systems, people’s beliefs can differ drastically.
Each religion implies a set of customs. Customs can include the way you dress, how you interact in relationships, the way you speak about the world, your idea of right and wrong, etc.— customs are informed by beliefs about the soul, the afterlife, or the purpose you’ve ascribed to being human.
It doesn’t stop with religion though. Politics are major belief systems that people are born into, probably even more so than religion. Commonly discussed political affiliations can span anywhere from being a democrat or a republican (if you’re in the United States), to being a capitalist or a communist, and then there is everything outside and in between such things. I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about fascism, anarchy, authoritarianism, libertarianism, democracy, progressivism, socialism — and so many more political movements and ideologies that have developed and existed throughout human history.
The philosophical belief about what “ought to be” depends on who is asking. Power and money are often followed by fantasies of superiority which give the question, an agenda.
I won’t go into detail, but I would encourage you to try to familiarize yourself with at least the fundamentals of these commonly held beliefs, if nothing else, for the sake of communication.
The Beliefs We Don’t Know We’re Believing
Our memories are subjective. And our cultures are nuanced. I can look back at a situation and see how it impacted me, or I can see how it impacted everyone involved — like the saying goes “there are two sides to every story.” But there are more than two sides if we are really being honest. Especially when you start digging into the histories of various civilizations.
When it comes to the narratives that we are told or the feelings we feel, we must always try to see these three components:
- The reasoning of why
- The immediate impact
- The aftermath at present
Naturally, we are going to favor the belief in our own side to the story, but we need to at least acknowledge that the other sides exist and give that a base level of compassion.
The Role Of Culture
Culture can seem vague, but it is even more encompassing than belief, in a way. Remember when I said before that belief informs customs? Well get this: culture informs belief and belief influences culture (ie. media you consume, the language you speak, the foods you eat — and more).
Culture interacts with belief the way that art interacts with the masses — you either chase culture, or you create it.
Culture includes the region or nationality you’ve identified with, the upbringing that you’ve endured, your financial experiences, your abilities or disabilities, your age and generation, your religion or political affiliations, your racial experience, and any event that has particularly shaped you.
There are narratives and feelings surrounding each our cultures that deserve analyzation, for the sake of our beliefs, to aid in considerate expression and communication with others.
On A More Personal Note
I have always seemed to exist in a grey area. I’ve questioned systems for my entire life and I have seen abstract concepts become applied as facts — time and time again — when the reality is: they are greater than that. As a counselor, it is my personality and profession to facilitate communication over such things.
An Anecdote About Language
If you’ve ever lived in a place where you did not speak the native language, or immersed yourself in a culture that was much different than your own, than you have probably developed an awareness of the nuance between the expression of words and the application of values. Words can be triggering to some people and values can be disputed. But we can look at our beliefs with a top down approach. How might our words be absorbed by an audience? Can our values transcend our customs? Is there an ethical approach to these discussions that we can agree on?
When attempting to teach a nine year old girl, English, whilst living in France — we would occasionally make tiktok videos. I called her “silly" for her dance moves and she didn’t understand what that meant. The only equivalent translation was “foolish or stupid”, which is just not accurate.
If language can translate differently, imagine how much more important it is to listen. I’ve looked at politics and seen the vision behind the law and then compared that vision with the written law itself. The same is true in psychology. We write down observations of patterns and symptoms, but the interpretation and execution of treatment vary. Throughout these processes — time and time again — we see that we are capable of greatness and destruction. Which makes our attention to language and culture important.
Listening to others and introspecting on ourselves is the greatest gift we could bestow upon each other and humanity. This is how we grow, collectively. This is how we discover the universal truths.
Each and every one of us has dreamt of the great unknown. We have all asked the big question of what are we? We have wondered if we are alone in the universe. We think of our consciousness (which is meta) and how it has formed and evolved over the years. We ask ourselves and each other, “what is the meaning of our lives? Why are we connected?” We try to prove and interact with a supernatural realm or we deny the plausibility of such a thing. Are there multiple universes? Is there an objective “right” or “wrong”? What do we know to be true, and what do we continue to question?
Final Thoughts
I would never presume to tell you what you should or should not believe in. But I would like you to ask yourself: what do I believe about my beliefs? Do I question them? Do I hold my beliefs above others? Do I look for universal truths? Do I notice the laws and how they have changed based on the changing philosophies or social norms? Do I try to get to know people who believe differently from me? Does it occur to me that each person lives a life that is as intricate and valuable as my own? Do I take the time to listen before trying to explain? Do I consider what is valuable to others?
None of us are existing on this planet alone, and every single one of us has a unique perspective that has been derived from memories and cultural predispositions. The common belief system, truly, is belief in and of itself. Let’s do a better job of listening to each other's beliefs and trying to find the universal truth that binds us (rather than dividing us) in our humanity.
