Belief

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius

Le Penseur - Does he choose what he thinks is true?

Author’s note: Reading “Lowest Bidder” before continuing here would be helpful.

Had I written this contemplation even just a few weeks ago, it would have likely turned out quite differently. Its message would, in fact, have been entirely the opposite of the one I want to share with you today.

At that time, I thought that man chooses what he believes.

I no longer think this is the case.

And so, the ancient words of Heraclitus ring true once again: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.”

My understanding has changed.

I have changed.

For the sake of streamlining this writing and communicating clearly, I want to clarify that I will use the word “beliefs” to refer to a person’s entire set of beliefs, which they consider true. This includes values, convictions, worldview, and faith.

I do not choose my beliefs.

Or, more accurately:

I cannot choose my beliefs. I simply do not have the ability, the strength, to do so.

They happen to me. I am convinced of them. I do not convince myself of them.

In fact, the attempt to make myself believe something contrary to what I actually believe would be classified as self-manipulation.

I can choose to live in a way that goes against my beliefs.

I can choose to deny my beliefs.

I can pretend that I do not have a specific set of beliefs.

But I still believe what I believe. I cannot change that … at least not directly.

… oh, so I can change what I believe?

To a certain degree, yes, but only in a second-hand sort of way.

While I cannot choose my beliefs, I can guide my thoughts.

I can choose what I will read, with whom I will speak, what I will think about, and how I will think about those topics.

Of the conclusions that result from these processes, the ones that make sense to me are recognized as true and raised to the level of beliefs. (Of course, it's more complex than this since identity, fear, doubt, hopes, and other factors influence this process, and the human mind is far from being purely rational. I am simply trying to strip belief down to its core components for the purpose of this discussion.)

So, why does this matter?

The river flows and I no longer believe I choose my beliefs.

"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." What will your thoughts be?

Why does this matter?

It matters because, if my conclusions about this topic are accurate, the above quote by Marcus Aurelius not only rings true, but it describes a matter of utmost importance:

Our beliefs are what we hold to be true. We cannot select them arbitrarily. They are rooted in depths that remain untouched by human choice.

BUT these beliefs are influenced by the thoughts we have, the books we read, the people with whom we speak, the environments in which we live, and the ideas to which we expose ourselves … the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts. In the same way, our thoughts influence what we cannot directly choose: our beliefs – the very set of ideas that shape our entire outlook on life.

And so, we cannot choose our beliefs, but we are constantly choosing the things that shape them. We must choose carefully.

***

Thank you for reading Chisel&Feather!

The pain of thinking, Leonidas, and charitable lies: Click here to discover more about the importance of truth.