Why you believe what you believe?

Question

The list below is written by David Gould. I'd like to know your thoughts about it. Is it true? Do you agree with the different points or disagree? Would you like to change the order in the list? Do you think this affects what people in law enforcement think, or are they trained to look beyond it? How about other lines of work where people judge the situation based on what they are told? Other thoughts? Opinions?

1) You tend to believe most strongly that which you hear first.

2) If you change, it will most likely be to that which you hear repeated many times.

3) You next tend to believe that which you want to believe or that which fits your already conceived ideas or notions.

4) Lastly, humans are least likely to believe that which is logical and makes sense, especially if it contradicts what they hear most!

Answer 1

Ok...

1) He has a point here. They say that within the first 5 years of life we learn more than we will the rest of our lives. That's why it's so vital for parents to set a good example. Because we are not just learning how to walk, talk & tie shoelaces. We are learning who we are in relation to others, we are learning what the world is. What parents tell us & show us, we believe because that is our only reality. So what if those parents are violent & abusive? You learn the world is an evil place. What if they're cold & neglectful? You learn that you're not worthy of love. People can carry these scars for a lifetime. They believe it. It feels true for them & they will spend the rest of their lives playing it out (getting involved in abusive relationships that remind them of their parents, hating themselves, unable to break the cycle...)

2) There is something to be said for repetition as well. The things you hear over & over become truth to you. Negative thinking is so insidious that it colours how you view the world. You can retrain yourself to think positive but it takes work: like repeating positive affirmations. Forcing yourself to say nice things to yourself. If you keep at it, it works.

3) Yes you will always gravitate toward things/people/opinions that reinforce what you already think/feel/believe. You will look for confirmation of your opinions & they will ring more true than things which contradict your views.

4) I don't agree that people will reject logic & common sense, except perhaps in relation to love or addictions of any kind. When people are in love they seldom listen to reason. When people are addicted to something they will cling for dear life to the things that destroy them. Would anyone smoke, drink or do drugs if they were logical?! No.

Those are my thoughts on David Gould's statements anyway! But what do I know? It's just what I believe...

:)

Answer 2

The only one I am not sure about is #1. The rest can be easily demonstrated with the wild frenzy over global warming or in politics. Making it worse is our educational system no longer teaches or even encourages critical thinking resulting in far less logical thought and far more knee jerk reaction.

Law enforcement should be trained to look beyond that to some degree but every person is subject to their own biases and experiences.

Answer 3

I am not like this at all. I believe nothing, for belief means to be convinced a statement is true with no evidence. I look at the evidence and change my opinions to match the best evidence. I insist upon really knowing, not blindly believing. I had a minor in Philosophy with a 4.00 average.

Answer 4

simply by fact the angel Gabriel advised me that Jimmy Carter will grow to be the Antichrist aka Dajjal (8th King in Rev. 17) and he will serve yet another term in workplace after the death of Obama (seventh king). The angel Gabriel advised me in Aug. 1973 whilst i replaced into in Phillipsbrug, Montana that Jimmy Carter will grow to be the Anti-Christ, and that he is going to alter his call, and divorce his spouse! Obama is going to die first and then the Anti-Christ aka Dajjal who replaced into between the previous 7 Presidents will take his place! Rev. 17:10 And there are seven kings: 5 are fallen, and one is, [and] the different isn't yet come; and whilst he cometh, he could proceed a quick area. All 7 kings have been all alive until the death of Ronald Reagan June 5, 2004 whilst George W. Bush replaced into in workplace ; a million. Gerald Ford 2. Jimmy Carter 3. Ronald Reagan 4. George H. W. Bush 5. bill Clinton 6. George W. Bush.... is spoken of interior the present annoying (and one is) simply by fact until Reagan died (June 5, 2004) all 7 have been alive! 7. Barack Obama.......and one is yet to return! he will die some days after he will improve taxes! Obama is likewise in Dan. 11:20 Then shall get up in his assets a raiser of taxes [in] the honour of the dominion: yet interior few days he would be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in conflict. Rev. 17:11 And the beast that replaced into, and is not, even he's the 8th, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

Answer 5

I agree with all of that, but I personally believe the way that I do because this happened to me.

Several years ago I had an unusual experience concerning an uncle, a distant relative who lived over a thousand miles away.

While driving my car I suddenly felt the unmistakable presence of this relative that I hardly even knew. He was more like someone I had heard about than someone I knew. It was very strange; it felt as though I was momentarily lifted right out of my physical body. I seemed to be suspended somehow beyond space and time, bathed in a love so intense It felt like I could have just disappear into it at any moment if It would have let me. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it seemed to last forever at the same time. I realize how crazy this must sound. The experience was so strong that at first I was afraid I was loosing my grip on reality. I finally managed to chalk it up to an over active imagination.

Three days later I got a call from my aunt telling me that this uncle we are talking about had gone into a coma and died the day I had the experience. It felt like ice water had been poured down my back when she told me this. I had lost any real ideas of God or faith and had become somewhat of an atheist. Needless to say this experience caused me to rethink some of the conclusions I had come to.

I feel blessed to now understand that even in our darkest confusion something loves us so much that it went out of its way to assist me and bring me back to a state of absolute certainty about Gods love for us.
During the experience it seemed like there was a vast amount of information that I was somehow allowed access to. One thing that I came away from this experience understanding beyond any shadow of a doubt was that any Idea that God is unhappy with us or would judge or allow us to be punished for any reason is simply impossible.

I can’t explain the love I felt with words. They simply don’t make words big enough or complete enough to do this. The only way I can begin to convey this love to you is to say that there was simply nothing else there. Nothing but love. No hint of judgment, no displeasure of any sort. It is as though God sees us as being as perfect as we were the day we were created. It is only in our confused idea of ourselves that we seem to have changed.

I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck. Love and blessings.

Your brother don

Answer 6

while true for some people, i do not think that any of that applies to most ,, and certainly not to me !
ps: i am not certain of the time in which he wrote that,,,,,,,, i think it may of been more true in the past,, not true of everyone of course, but in general,,,, but since around the 1970's, when the baby boomers came of age,,, alot has changed,,,,,,, and so each generation after is different, and more questioning

Answer 7

Forget David Gould . This is my answer to your title question .

I believe in what I believe because I don't believe in what others believe and I believe that others believe in what I believe .

Do you believe me ?

Answer 8

I believe what I believe because basically that is all I know.

Answer 9

I believe in what I believe because I choose to...it's always your choice to believe..

Answer 10

i do not agree with any of that