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Belief is everything. Not necessarily belief in God or religious belief; all our opinions, views, and worldviews are based on belief. From basic beliefs, such as belief in the existence of an external world, to specific beliefs, such as belief in the existence of aliens – everything ultimately comes down to belief. Even the most rigorous scientific and logical proofs are based on fundamental assumptions that cannot be proven but only believed. But how do we decide what to believe? There are countless possible beliefs on every subject in the world; how do we choose from them the beliefs that will make up our worldview? The following article will attempt to offer guidelines on this question.
First, it is important to mention something very important, which is not self-evident: it is permissible to believe! Not every opinion and view needs to be backed up by conclusive evidence and proofs, if only from the simple fact mentioned above, that even these are ultimately based on beliefs. Even skeptics who reject any belief and are willing to accept only claims that have been scientifically proven, actually believe (consciously or unconsciously) in a series of fundamental assumptions on which science is based. So if they are allowed to adopt a certain belief system, so are others. It is true that certain people want to tyrannically impose their scientific beliefs on the rest of humanity, and ridicule any other belief, but thank God, their thought police have not yet gone into action, and everyone is still free to believe as they see fit. On the contrary, it is precisely where there are no absolute proofs and evidence that belief begins; and since nothing has absolute evidence, the possibilities of belief are unlimited.
There is no reason to accept minimalist assumptions, such as Occam's razor 1], when examining beliefs. These assumptions themselves do not stand up to any criticism, and are merely methodological tools, or simply beliefs in themselves. Once you are freed from assumptions such as "what has not been proven does not exist" and "entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily," entire spaces of possibilities open up to the believer, and countless different ways to look at reality. Don't let the use of words like "logic" or "rationalism" confuse you; in this matter, all that stands behind them is those stingy and implausible assumptions about reality. And who said that the minimalist-stingy approach is the right one?
After we have freed ourselves from these binding assumptions, we find ourselves facing a sea of possibilities, which can be very confusing: to believe that there is a God or not? And what about life after death? To be optimistic or pessimistic? To believe that things will be good, or that humanity will destroy itself soon? That there is meaning to existence, or that everything is absurd? That there is absolute morality, and values of good and evil, or that everything is relative? That only matter exists, or that there is also spirit? Does the world exist or is it an illusion? Are there other entities in the world – demons, ghosts, angels, gods, aliens, fairies? How can we decide between all these possibilities?
Here we need to distinguish between different levels of belief. There are beliefs for which the evidence in their favor seems so convincing to us that they are forced upon us. We are not able to give them up seriously. Most of us believe in our senses and in the existence of an external world, to such an extent that we cannot really believe otherwise, even if we enjoy playing with the idea. When the facts and data seem unequivocal, it is difficult to argue with them, especially regarding things we have seen with our own eyes, or heard from reliable sources. It is always possible to doubt, and to suggest other possibilities, but everyone has the basic belief system forced upon them, from which they cannot free themselves without great effort.
The beliefs forced upon us significantly narrow the range of possibilities before us. Regarding the physical world, scientific conclusions are largely forced upon us, and we cannot seriously deny them – especially in light of the fact that we use tools based on them every day. Of course, science itself does not claim to provide absolute truth, and many scientific theories are merely hypotheses; and yet, in many fields, science has a decisive weight. The place where we are free to believe is in all those areas that are not covered by science – metaphysics, morality, religion, mysticism, and so on. There is no reason to assume that the entire reality is limited to the four cubits that science is able to investigate, and it is possible to believe that there are many more things beyond its reach – and that is where belief belongs.
At the other end of the scale, as opposed to the beliefs forced upon us, are the beliefs that we cannot take seriously. Everyone has the beliefs that they consider "delusional" or "absurd," even if there is no real evidence against them. Usually these are beliefs that have no serious claim in their favor. For one it will be fairies, for another the Flying Spaghetti Monster, for a third a conspiracy theory that aliens control the world, and for a fourth it is the belief that the world was created by chance. None of these beliefs can be refuted, but for some people, they seem so absurd that they cannot bring themselves to accept them. Of course, things are very subjective – the absurdity of one can be the certain belief of another. As such, it is recommended to re-examine the area considered "absurd" from time to time, and try to discover more openness about it – this is how advanced opinions are formed. But until then, the absurd beliefs delimit the second boundary of the possible beliefs, which extend between them and the forced beliefs.
Even after delimiting these boundaries, there are still many possibilities before us. To decide between them, there are a number of considerations that can be applied. The three main ones are evidence, aesthetics, and feasibility.
Evidence means any facts or data that support the truth of the belief. Although we are not in the scientific field, there is still much evidence that can influence belief. If it is a certain entity, such as aliens or fairies, are there people who have seen it? Testimonies or reports about it? If it is the existence of other worlds, such as the afterlife or other dimensions, are there traditions on the subject? Testimonies of someone who experienced them? And on any subject, does the belief explain reality, or certain phenomena, in a successful way? Does it fit in well with them? Does it contribute anything to understanding the world? Can it be put to the test? These are considerations that must be taken into account first and foremost. Of course, it is possible to believe in something even if it has no evidence, and even if it seems contrary to other findings – but for most people, such beliefs will belong to the realm of the "absurd," unless there is a very strong reason to adopt them. Like those that follow, for example.
Aesthetics means that certain beliefs have a kind of beauty or harmony that attracts the heart to accept them. It is difficult to define what aesthetics means in the field of beliefs, just as it is difficult to define it in other fields; but just as we identify external beauty according to the feeling of pleasure it gives to the senses, so we can identify the "beauty" of beliefs according to their compatibility with our intuitions. The more intuitive a certain belief, explanation, or approach seems to us, the more we will tend to accept it. And of course, everyone has their own concepts of beauty: one is delighted by the optimistic belief that there is meaning to existence, and the other finds beauty in a person who shapes his destiny in an absurd reality. But the existence of other beliefs should not bother those whose belief tends in a certain direction.
Feasibility, or utility, means the consequences that a certain belief has on the person and society. Is it a belief that will bring out the good or the bad in a person? Will it encourage him to act or suppress him? What will be its moral implications? Will it lead to cultural and scientific progress, or to destruction and ruin? Does it require a person to act in certain ways, which come at the expense of his other interests? These considerations should also be before a person's eyes when he comes to choose his beliefs.
There will be those who object to relying on considerations such as aesthetics and feasibility in matters such as beliefs. Why choose the more beautiful belief? Who said that reality should fit your concepts of beauty? Maybe a world that has meaning and life after death, or a world that has hidden kingdoms of goblins and fairies, is cooler than a gray and boring materialistic world – but that doesn't mean it's more real. You have to be realistic, even if it leads to pessimistic and gloomy conclusions about reality, and not live in some imaginary and baseless fantasy world.
But of course, claims like these are themselves an expression of belief, which there is no need to accept – the belief that there is no match between our intuitions and objective reality. Supposedly, our senses are indeed synchronized with reality (and how do we know that this is true?), but intuitions are nothing more than subjective feelings. But who said that this is the case? Maybe our intuitions are just another type of senses, which allows us to discover objective truths about reality? If so, then the intuitiveness, or aesthetics, of certain beliefs, and the feeling of "rightness" that they evoke in the soul, are definitely reasons to believe in them. By the way, science also chooses theories according to their "elegance," according to simplicity and frugality, for example, so it is no exception in this regard. Of course, the question arises, why then are there such great differences of opinion between the intuitions of different people, if objective reality is one; this is a question that has been given many answers in philosophy, and due to lack of space we will not go into them. In any case, it does not refute what is said here, and the belief that it is rational to choose beliefs according to aesthetic-intuitive considerations. A similar criticism belongs to feasibility as well, and there too a similar answer will come – it is possible to believe that there is a match between the truth about reality and the benefit that comes from acting according to it, so that if a certain path is more beneficial, it is reasonable to believe that it is also more correct. In other words, being "realistic" or "rational" does not mean being pessimistic, an ontological miser, or anything else. It means acting according to the beliefs that seem reasonable to you, and according to considerations such as those mentioned above, even if others don't like it.
Choosing a belief can be compared to choosing a spouse. Also on this subject, the choice is made according to a combination of reason, emotion, and inclinations of the heart. There are data that immediately disqualify certain possibilities, or requirements that one is not willing to compromise on. But beyond that, there are considerations of aesthetics, external and internal beauty, a feeling of personal compatibility, feasibility (economic or otherwise), and so on. And after all, there may still be doubt as to whether we have indeed made the most successful choice. But uncertainty is the price of progress; those who are not willing to pay it remain skeptical or single, and perhaps it is no coincidence that there are so many of both in our generation. On the other hand, even someone who wants to get married does not do so with just any healthy person, and someone who wants to believe does not choose just any coherent view. There are other things that are important to clarify, and they are what will determine the success of the marital relationship, or the contribution of the belief to the person and the world.
And again, the main thing is not to be afraid to believe. Not to be deterred by threatening and empty shadows, which try to impose a uniform opinion on everyone, and imprison us in the four cubits of materialism. Want to believe in God? In paradise? In angels? In fairies? That things will be good, and justice will prevail? Go for it. You will find the truth within you, and it is not subject to external rules that someone sets for you. It is very worthwhile to clarify, listen, be critical, hear other opinions. But in the end, the decision is yours.
(Two points that are important to clarify. One, the position presented here does not express a postmodern approach according to which "everyone has their own truth," or "all beliefs are equal." Not at all – you can believe in anything, but many beliefs are simply wrong, plain and simple. This is the risk you take when you believe in something, just like the risk that the relationship will not succeed.
Second, there is also no moral statement here, according to which every belief should be respected and legitimized. This moral assumption, like any moral perception, is itself a matter of belief, which can be accepted or rejected.)
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