We Are Not Born With Beliefs But Born Into Them
Think for a moment about the things you feel most strongly about. More than likely they are tied into your cultural, religious or political beliefs which are no doubt encompassing a set of values you either consciously or subconsciously operate off of as your life guide. But how did you get them?
As a child you did not decide what is and what isn't. You were implicitly taught pretty much everything you know. Among the very instincts we have as humans, most of the are social in nature. This the hardware and infrastructure to be social is present in us all but is manifested very differently. We were born to have beliefs but not born with them. You change you mind on things with regularity on the trivial things but shifting something identified as a belief or a core value is akin to making a reservation in an insane asylum, at least that's how it feels.
Your sense of self is nothing more than a reflection of the beliefs you developed that have become hard wired into you much like everything else you know. This begs the question, then is there truly anything that is wrong or right?
As the few instincts we do have are social in nature it has been historically noted that anything that goes against the good of the group has been looked down upon since the history of civilization. The problem is how we define 'group'. Because although all groups have similar interests and goals the perception has always been what is good for my group is bad for yours. This zero sum mentality is why we have the archaic mindsets about difference to this day that have existed for the last ten thousands years at least.
Your beliefs are flexible, they are not carved out in stone. Your mindset is flexible. They may not be as easy to change as going from vanilla to chocolate ice cream but the mechanism possesses a familiar simplicity. It's up to you to believe whether or not that is the case.
As a child you did not decide what is and what isn't. You were implicitly taught pretty much everything you know. Among the very instincts we have as humans, most of the are social in nature. This the hardware and infrastructure to be social is present in us all but is manifested very differently. We were born to have beliefs but not born with them. You change you mind on things with regularity on the trivial things but shifting something identified as a belief or a core value is akin to making a reservation in an insane asylum, at least that's how it feels.
Your sense of self is nothing more than a reflection of the beliefs you developed that have become hard wired into you much like everything else you know. This begs the question, then is there truly anything that is wrong or right?
As the few instincts we do have are social in nature it has been historically noted that anything that goes against the good of the group has been looked down upon since the history of civilization. The problem is how we define 'group'. Because although all groups have similar interests and goals the perception has always been what is good for my group is bad for yours. This zero sum mentality is why we have the archaic mindsets about difference to this day that have existed for the last ten thousands years at least.
Your beliefs are flexible, they are not carved out in stone. Your mindset is flexible. They may not be as easy to change as going from vanilla to chocolate ice cream but the mechanism possesses a familiar simplicity. It's up to you to believe whether or not that is the case.
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