How Much Is That Dogma in the Window?

A primary motivator in people's lives are their beliefs. Anyone involved with self-help material has, at one time or another, addressed the importance of beliefs and what they manifest in our lives. Immanuel Kant wrote, "The death of dogma is the birth of reality." Many apply a religious connotation to the word "dogma," but the dictionary's definition clarifies it's about opinions, as well.

I came up with my own quote years ago: Beliefs change, truths never do. Someone once commented to a group that truths are true until they're not. I didn't argue semantics because it wasn't appropriate in that venue, but I obviously disagree with that statement. If a truth changes, it was a belief. Beliefs are like scripts for a play where, as was said, our lives are the stage. If we follow the premise of what part of that is reality, what's revealed is there is a stage and there are actors. Nearly everything else about that scenario is changeable.

Sometimes we only have part of the story or, rather, not enough information. This results in something appearing as a truth, perhaps for hundreds of years or more. Look how long we believed the atom was the smallest particle of matter. Did we get a surprise about that one. In spite of all that changes daily, we're still not ready, as individuals and as a group consciousness, to accept we may be incorrect. We're not comfortable considering something and saying, "Maybe." We have beliefs coming out the wazoo about everything from foods to the origin of man and our universe. Where we get mucked up is when we adhere to beliefs as though they are truths. Humans have done some pretty unpleasant things to each other because of this, and still do. This means there are times when the cost of dogma is human life. Our history indicates that many individuals on this planet are okay with that.

What I like about Kant's quote is the correctness of it. We like to believe we know a lot of the answers about what's what about our existence. It would be a challenge for most of us to peal away the layers called beliefs and look at what we know for certain. Even then, what we consider certain could change as our consciousness or technology expands. That concept probably feels as though it would cause a lot of foundations to shake and crumble. Yet, what we'd be left with is the potential for incredible exploration of ourselves and everything around us.

How many of our thoughts over the course of the day do we believe to be true? How many of those beliefs are directed at creating a more fulfilling life? Some of us may gasp at what was written above when we think that the price of a belief may be a human life; but we fail to see that's on the global level. On the individual level, we either do this to ourselves or observe someone we know, do this daily. It's a case of, "As above, so below," which also works in reverse: As below, so above. The "above" is our world which is created by individuals, the "below."

Each of us can choose to be a positive ripple in the pond by continuously looking at beliefs and truths; but we need to start in our own backyards, so-to-speak. What kind of ripple will you choose to make today?