55. Strong Beliefs, Open Minds

Here’s a quote I heard that stuck out more than most I’ve heard before. I don’t remember where I heard it, but I’ll always remember it.

You might disagree, and that’s okay. You might say that if you could explain your every belief then there would be no need for faith, and maybe that’s true, but without going too deep, let me explain what I mean.

We all inherit certain beliefs based on our family history, culture we’re born into and our social surroundings. This much is not my opinion. Our environment plays a significant role in how our world view is formed as we grow up. However, as we get older, become adults and create our own opinions based on our own experiences, it’s prudent to come to the understanding that our worldview can shift from what we inherited. In fact, I would venture to say that it’s necessary to question why we think a certain way and believe certain things.

If you don’t ask why, then you assume the beliefs of those who came before you without forming any of your own. In this way, your beliefs are not really your beliefs if you’ve never questioned why you believe it. To that you might think to yourself that you believe certain things because your parents do, you mentor does or your favourite influencer does, all of whom you trust and respect. That’s fine, but still, the belief that you hold on to is not your own. It’s theirs, unless you understand why.