Beliefs

The dictionary defines belief as meaning something that one is convinced of. But I wonder if we really mean what we say, everytime we use this word. Not everything in life is a question of life & death. So you cant take the analogy of a man lying down on the road in the path of a truck (courtesy "God's Debris - Scott Adams", and claim that he believes in the danger of his predicament and hence chooses to move. What about beliefs that we choose to do nothing about?

Lets say I believe that its going to rain today. But I dont carry an umbrella, dont carry a raincoat and when it rains, I get drenched. Does this mean that I dont believe? Or does this mean that I choose not to do anything about my belief? I guess the latter is probably true.

Extending this further, lets say, you are completely unaware of the fact that its going to rain. And I dont impress upon you the fact that I believe that its going to rain. As a result of which you get drenched. Do I really believe that its going to rain, or am I deluding myself? I know I am not being honest by not sharing my belief, but thats a post for another day. The "moo point", to quote Joey, is whether "I believe".

I know its a harmless situation, but I deliberately wanted to pick on a harmless situation so that there are no other considerations when discussing whether I believe. And, also, cos its a gray area - in the sense that its not important that one acts on this belief. I did not want the focus of this discussion to be based on the magnitude of consequences of my actions; like life and death. Infact, one can choose to ignore this belief. The more trivial the analogy, so much the better for debating, from a purely academic perspective, whether I believe or not.

The pertinent question here is, if my actions dont supplement my suppossed beliefs, do I believe? And for the sake of completeness, I might be forgiven once, for acting foolish - but if I keep doing it again and again, then, do I believe?

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Three and a half years later - here I am once again ... driving myself to write some more. And I keep coming back to this post; since this has generated a lot of interest of a very human nature.

After having read some of the comments, I still scratch my head; unable to grasp that so many of you already have.

Expectation - isn't is a belief that my actions will bear some fruit?

Social pressure - isn't that also a belief, that my actions will bear some fruit? Or for that matter, pressure of any kind?

Does this entire debate finally boil down to the same ideology as that of "value-for-money"; optimise on your returns; get something out of all the effort that one puts in; blah-blah-blah?

Maybe I am rambling - to elucidate I have a belief which requires me to act in a certain fashion. But "expectations/pressures/norms" force me to act another way. So do we calculate in a very cold-hearted rationale and choose our actions appropriately? The more weight-age a belief has, the more likely my action is influenced by that belief?

In which case, can we ever believe in anything at all? Or have I got this all wrong?

GNX4-Part-I

Isn't it Kewl? 

GNX4-Part-II

My Music Station 

My Element

Thanks to Meera for this one.






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at mutedfaith.com.