1 - Dichotomy

Thanks for coming to my blog.

Are you interested in changing your perspective and learning something new that would change your perspective and open up new positive possibilities or are you happy with the perspective you have? You're likely happy (or unhappy but still comfortable) with the one you have because you've been developing it your entire life. You've got a lot invested in it. It's yours and a part of your identity so why would you want to change it? Hopefully, because there is a grand expansive reality that your perspective doesn't allow you to see and you're curious and want to see it. I'm not getting spiritual or religious on you. This is very down to earth. Our perspective has been based of the concept of "right" and "wrong" and we've identified with that perspective our entire life. It is a part of our identity that we perceive ourselves to be. We don't want a new perspective unless we want a new identity. Who wants that? Well, we don't need to perceive ourselves that way. There's a whole lot more to you that you aren't aware of and your awareness of it is blocked by your limiting beliefs. In the next post I will tell you about the experience of my life that changed my reality and made me aware of how much more there was to me and everyone else. What we truly are is unlimited potential and possibilities.

 

For the past few years I've become a student of belief and why and how people believe many of the beliefs they believe. I wondered why a person's personal beliefs are so important to them. I often saw how people will believe things that are unfounded and entirely refuted by science, evidence and facts. This intrigued me as to why and how they can ignore what I considered reality. Not only do they believe these beliefs, but they won't even consider the possibility that their belief might be incorrect or wrong.

Beliefs are the major source of conflict in the world. Wars are fought over beliefs. People kill for their beliefs. People are killed for their beliefs. The environment is being destroyed because of the belief in the importance of man and wealth. Greed is a belief in the importance of money and the importance of self over others. Crime is due to the belief in the importance of oneself over others. Global warming is threatening the entire planet but people refuse to believe it. Their belief is in the form of non-belief. Politics are never ending conflicts of beliefs. Everyone thinks their view is the one correct view. Religions all promote their beliefs as being the one religion that knows the unknown that is impossible to know. Beliefs in nationalism cause conflicts and wars. Everyone thinks they're right and anyone who disagrees is wrong. Arguments escalate to violence over beliefs and people die. Relationships are destroyed and families are broken apart over conflicts due to beliefs. Show me a man made problem in the world and I'll show you how it boils down to a belief or a belief system. Excluding natural disasters and events, the world's problems can all be attributed to beliefs. The belief in the importance of beliefs and self causes extreme self-righteousness that causes deadly conflict every day. Everybody thinks they are right and it's the other persons fault -- another belief. There is something seriously wrong with the concept of beliefs. Mankind is destroying himself over beliefs. He is destroying the planet and the creatures that inhabit it because of belief. But its not your beliefs --  right? It's the other persons beliefs that are the problem.  It's your belief and everyone else's belief that you are right and others are wrong that is the problem. It's the dichotomy of the belief in right and wrong in the first place. That's the problem with limiting beliefs. You and I suffer from the same problem that is destroying the planet and mankind. Since we believe we are right, we automatically perceive someone else wrong that has a contradicting belief and they perceive you the same way you perceive them. That perception blocks us from seriously considering and understanding their point of view. Conflict is inevitable.
 

Seemingly otherwise rational people have some of the most bizarre beliefs and they are convinced they are absolutely correct without any doubt in their mind. A few years back, members of a religious group in the San Diego area were persuaded to believe that if they killed themselves, their soul would be picked up by an alien spacecraft that was following Hale-Bopp comet. 38 people committed suicide. Bizarre beliefs like this aren't that unusual especially when it comes to spiritual or religious beliefs. Just look at all the people that are willing to kill others and even kill themselves in the name of Islam. Many people believe other peoples' spiritual beliefs to be bizarre and ridiculous but have equally bizarre beliefs of their own. But bizarre beliefs aren't limited to spirituality. There is a popular documentary TV series called “Finding Bigfoot.” It's almost hilarious to watch it because these people are so convinced Bigfoot is out there and they are going to find him. Many people believe Elvis is still alive. Conspiracy theories abound. There are many people that believe 9-11 was a government plot. There are people that honestly believe the Earth is flat according to their literal interpretation of the Bible. I've actually had conversations with such people and they have it fully justified and can argue it all day long with all kinds of other beliefs and rationale. They, and others as well, believe the moon landings were staged and NASA is part of a giant world wide government conspiracy that includes all governments and all scientists. WOW! The range of unfounded beliefs is endless.

Unfounded beliefs don't need to be bizarre though. As I started to observe people and their beliefs, I saw that most of what we believe is unfounded. When I say unfounded, I mean that they are not based on enough facts, knowledge, experience and information for us to honestly say with certainty that they are fact and are the absolute truth even though that's exactly what we often do. I also saw  how incredibly biased beliefs are. I took an honest look at my own beliefs and saw how many, if not most, of them were unsupported with concrete facts, experience or evidence and were very biased according to my self interests. But that is the nature of beliefs. Beliefs are ideas and not facts. If they could be proven without a doubt they would no longer be beliefs. They would be knowledge.

So why do we consider them to be the absolute truth and have such certainty they are true? Why do we hold onto a belief so tightly even though there might be overwhelming evidence that it is wrong? Why is it so hard to admit a belief of ours is wrong and why is it so hard for so many people to even consider the possibility that a belief of theirs might be wrong? Why are people willing to die and kill for something they don't even know? Why are our beliefs so precious to us? The questions go on and on.

I wanted to understand this human behavior and thought there must be a psychological explanation for it. I concluded the explanation is found in the ego -- our personal concept of self. We identify with our beliefs as an integral aspect of our identity -- one of the most significant aspects. Then I had an earth shattering realization.  Whether we are aware of it or not, beliefs are the most significant aspect of our identity. Nearly everything I'm writing here came from that realization. It all boils down to beliefs and particularly the limited beliefs we have about ourselves. Beliefs are incredibly powerful and shape our reality. Beliefs have the power to change our reality. But that is just a small part of my realization as you'll see.

What I'm sharing with you can free you from many limiting beliefs about the world and yourself that keep you limited --- beliefs that are limiting you in a negative way that keep you from a more fulfilling and happier life and that might be keeping you from achieving what you want in life or possibly limiting what you want to achieve in life. But only if you are open to it. My hope is that this blog will be helpful in some way to everyone who reads it. That's probably unrealistic, but I would be happy if it was helpful to just one person. Maybe that person is you.

What you're about to read can very easily be taken personally. It is personal. I'm not criticizing or judging negatively, but the very nature of it will most likely bring about a negative reaction. It will challenge something that is very important to you---your ego/identity and your beliefs. Your ego isn't going to want to agree with much of what I'm saying. That presents me with a challenge and predicament. How do I get across my ideas when they are likely to be rejected by the very thing that I'm challenging but that is the very thing I need to get through to. I'm faced with a dilemma. People want the world to change but they don't want to change their beliefs. They'd rather go to the grave with them. They'd rather believe they are "right" than actually be right which would mean they sometimes must perceive themselves as being wrong and that they don't know. There must be another perception and solution to this dichotomy. There is and it comes from unlimiting your beliefs.