Why? Because you seek enlightenment, not anchors.
- be·lieve
- Accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of
- - the superintendent believed Lancaster's story
- - Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead
- Accept the statement of (someone) as true
- - he didn't believe her or didn't want to know
- Have faith, esp. religious faith
- - there are those on the fringes of the Church who do not reallybelieve
- Feel sure that (someone) is capable of a particular action
- - I wouldn't have believed it of Lois—what an extraordinary woman!
- Hold (something) as an opinion; think or suppose
- - I believe we've already met
- - things were not as bad as the experts believed
- - humu-humu are, I believe, shrimp fritters
- - four men were believed to be trapped
verb /biˈlēv/ believed, past participle; believed, past tense; believes, 3rd person singular present; believing, present participle |
1. To Accept something as true is to reduce the need for further questioning.
To feel sure of the truth is idiocy. (Prove ANYTHING beyond doubt.)
2. To accept the statement of anyone as true is to trust any being is capable of knowing the truth.
Do you really trust anyone's expertise with your very existence?
3. Faith is a tool by which people are ruled through their ignorance. The same goes for religion.
4. Feeling sure that someone is capable of a particular action is fine so long as the action doesn't affect you.
And as long as you're not betting on them.
5. Holding anything as an opinion is a fallacy. This action anchors you to what you already (think you) know.
Then how can I even retain intelligible language capabilities without this crucial word? I say "I believe" when I'm not sure if something's true, and when I really think it is... What are you trying to do to my head, Arsh?
Improve it. Sorry. That wasn't supposed to hurt so much.
The answer is... replace "I believe" with questions.
Instead of ever settling down on "I believe" ... query further.
A true sage would never really believe anything. Instead, he would ask of everything...
So I have a long way to go. But knowing is half the battle... and questioning is the rest of it.
Why are questions so great?
Because they are the pursuit of mystery. Finding answers is no goal, because you will never find them all. You will never find all the ones you want. Instead... seek the journey. Seek the act of seeking. And you will never run out of road.
A few examples:
I believe in god. < What is god?
I believe all people are good. < What "good things" did Hitler do?
I believe the Earth is flat. < Why do the ships' sails begin to sink over time as they approach the horizon?
And so on, forever.
Believing you already know denies seeking further.
Believe nothing. Seek the Mysteries!
Reyn til Runa
And the paradox being: if you believe this article to speak the truth then I cannot believe it to be true, as it is not... ::does little circles in head:: Ahem.
ReplyDeleteI like this entry, because I feel it is a good thing to question the world. What sources are valid? Can ANY truly be valid? Life is different for us all, our realities only touch, but are never the same.
regarding "I believe" and not using it... ... does the word really matter so much as the intent behind it?
ReplyDeleteThough I guess arguably, part of it is not thinking about the word believe, but rather thinking about not believing...
.. hm.
Hey, I never guaranteed this blog would not break your head.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, that's distinctly one part of the purpose of it.
Correct, Jen: It's not about the words. Yes I still say "I believe" some. I even say it in the very not-cool way of actually stating a belief sometimes (and not just as a way of saying "I think x is what I remember..." or some such)
The more important message here is to be capable of saying "I don't know" instead of "I already have a long-held belief and I'm glued to it."