Opinions, Beliefs and Knowledge

With so much coming at us in the world today, I want to take the time to talk about how we decipher all the information.

How do we keep ourselves from just trying to fit in?

Here is what fitting in sounds like, “You believe that? I believe that. You think that way? I think that way.” When in reality, we don’t believe or think that way at all. We just really want to fit in.

The opposite of that is being authentic. It is being able to say “These are my beliefs and this is my opinion and you either accept me or you don’t.”

With all of these conversations happening (which really, they should have been happening a lot sooner than just now), it was making me a little bit anxious. Anxious in the sense that as passionate as people are getting, myself included, I am get drawn into their enthusiasm.

One person is describing what is happening and why it is so important that I believe this way and here is what needs to be done to help solve the problem.

It sounds very convincing and so I am like – heck yeah, let’s do it!

And then, someone else is over here is saying something different but with just as much passion and enthusiasm and I find myself nodding my head and thinking – heck yeah, let’ do it!

Here is what I have had to do. I have to stop and be still. I need to take time to revisit what I believe and why I believe it so that I can go back to the world with my own beliefs, passion and enthusiasm.

This way I do not get caught up in propaganda and do or say things that don’t really represent who I am.

It reminds me of the saying “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” That is what I felt was happening to me. I kept looking around going “Ah! That sounds good. Not wait, that sounds good…” and feeling like I was being tossed around in my thoughts.

Something that I absolutely hate is to be tricked and so another part to all of this is taking responsibility for my own knowledge. I needed to stop allowing what I do to be dictated by what others tell me to do.

If I really want to take a stance on something, then I need to get the knowledge behind it.

Belief is comprised of understanding, agreeing and action.

I can be really good at agreeing and action, but not take the time to understand what is really going on.

So, that is the challenge I am throwing out there to all of us today. Go find the knowledge that supports what you believe.

That way, when we find ourselves in the swirl of propaganda, we can say as individuals, “This is what I believe and this is why I believe it and here are the actions I am going to take so I can help make this a better world!”

<>< KC