“…convictions might be more dangerous enemies of the truth than lies.” ~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
What we see is rarely what we get.
No two people have the same perception of the world. We’re all inside our own little flesh capsule, using our senses in an effort to make sense of this grand event called life.
We develop beliefs, opinions and hopefully objective observations, based on the view from our mind’s eye.
If we truly want to open ourselves to others, experiencing their point of view and validating their experience, we can’t hold our convictions as the only truth.
Multiple truths can exist together peacefully, without invalidating one another.
You may find someone with whom you identify on numerous levels, but they still aren’t feeling and seeing the world in the exact same way.
There are many factors playing a part in how you perceive any situation, person, place or thing including:
- Past experience
- Expectations of the present
- Beliefs in concepts (religion, family, love)
- Neural firing patterns in the brain
- What you ate that day
Like Nietzsche said in the opening quote, people will believe lies when it backs up their convictions. The media relies on this fact every day.
Our beliefs, and the information we collect to support them, keeps us from growing when we insist there is no other way of seeing.
It’s easy to get defensive when our beliefs are challenged, even when we intuitively know there are alternatives to our personal beliefs.
We may:
- get stuck shaming ourselves for a mistake
- not understand that changing our perceptions when we process new information is normal and healthy
- have extreme difficulty breaking down personal belief systems
- associate deep regret for time spent believing something harmful or limiting
Humans like to think that things should make sense, that changing your convictions, or beliefs, is a sign of weakness.
To the contrary, acknowledging something that was once a defining part of yourself, so much so that you considered it a moral conviction, has come into a new light and you no longer hold it dear – now that is courage and wisdom.
Know Thyself
You can shape your life by simply accepting your humanity.
Change is the only constant, this is so true. It’s not “your fault,” it’s OK to be afraid or resistant, but know that everything changes and observing it first objectively, without emotion attached, can give you a perspective outside of your own.
When you look at the facts of a situation, without adding your convictions, opinions and preferences – you realize to some extent how your own unique perspective can really change your reality.
The observable facts are not debatable, but how anyone interprets their observations, or how they internalize them is completely limitless.
Being aware of your own tendencies and beliefs will not only give you a greater empathy and understanding of others, but more importantly, you will learn to accept yourself.
Often people of this world don’t know much about themselves. They believe in the messages the media has told them about themselves, without realizing that those external messages are 100% centered on selling products and breeding discontent.
Realizing where your place is in social stratification, analyzing who and why is behind what we consume, and deciding what you need/want from introspection and awareness is a major key to finding your joy and true happiness!