What part of our living is not powered by belief? How is it so that the very notion of connecting an abstract thought to reality is what motivates humans to do most things?
If belief involves having trust in the connection of something abstract (Ideas and concepts, like Beauty, Truth, Love) to something in reality, then most of our ideas, which then result in actions, stem from this trust in that connection.
With belief, it is important to know that the abstract only influences reality through our actions. We host that connection between thought and reality, as through this connection, we are able to solve problems that require a higher form of thinking, and then be able to apply it to reality.
However, this involves already having a good understanding on what reality is, as acting on ideas without a strong grasp on reality is seen quite often, especially in our early years. This can be dangerous, such as believing someone else — either of a different race, religion, or gender — to only act according to their “stereotype” and treat then differently, despite not knowing the person at all. Being hostile with that level of Ignorance, leads to confrontation, and can also lead to harm for multiple parties. This shows how acting on ideas without the intention of understanding reality can be negative.
On the other hand, acting on ideas with the intention of understanding more of reality can be positive, with the pursuit of wonder.
What is Wonder?
In the pursuit of wonder, one does not necessarily have a strong grasp on reality, but one must be open to learn and explore reality. Acting on the idea in order to learn more about reality, is constructive to oneself and to others.
The difference between Wonder vs Ignorance, is that Wonder is being open to understanding reality and how we can see it differently/see more of it, whereas Ignorance completely disregards any other way of interpretation, and holds on to a limited and/or false notion of reality. Since we grow and learn through experiences, and being able to approach situations in different ways, then it seems logical to hold onto that state of wonder as much as we can, as it is in that state that we can learn the most. To hold onto that state of wonder, we need to accept that what we “know” as true could always change. This is because most of what we know about the world are usually theories.
What Does Theory have to do with Belief?
Theories are explanations of facts with evidence, which means that something happens, and we find reasons on why that thing happened.
For example, a fact is that if you are on Earth at night, and you look up in the sky, you are able to see stars. These stars (along with planets) have a certain pattern to them, and we are able to predict different events, such as the passage of a year, the placement of the Sun, the eclipse, etc.
The theory on how this works is something that was disputed over the years, and depending on who you ask, even today. Before, people used to think that the stars, the Sun, and the Moon circled around the Earth (some even thought the Earth was flat!). However, this was disproved by Galileo, when he discovered small moons circling around Jupiter.
Even before Galileo’s discovery, people used Astronomy to predict certain cosmic events, so the fact of the patterns of the stars have stayed the same. What had changed was the way we view/interpret the fact, and the way we understand it happens. This was a shock to everyone at the time, as the parameters of how they understood it were broken, and expanded to new lengths.
That expansion in human understanding is the beautiful thing about Wonder, and a good reason on why we should strive to see new ways of interpreting things, but always making sure it is backed by solid evidence.
Having evidence, or reasons to prove a new way of looking at things, is essential to maintain a state of wonder, as accepting things without proper evidence, reason, or argumentation can corrupt that state of wonder into one of Ignorance.
What About Ignorance?
This happens when the person accepts a new way of interpretation, without looking at anything that proves its connection with reality.
Ignorance leads to stagnation, and with stagnation, we don’t allow ourselves to grow. Growth and Wonder go hand in hand, as by nourishing Wonder, we are able to grow into a better version of ourselves, considering we are allowing ourselves to change in a more positive light. Humans are meant for continual Growth, and Wonder is a great way to keep on growing.
If we don’t grow, and become stagnant in our growth, we end up not learning anything, or developing ourselves in any way, shape, or form. This is important for us, as our motivation to do things, whether it be starting a business, learning to play guitar, growing a garden, etc, is based on our belief of how important these things are. We determine how important it is to us by figuring out how much of our reality does it affect, and whether the effects are of significance to us.
Ignorance deters us from fulfilling our potential, limiting us to keep on a single path, with no room for exploration or adventure. To engage in Ignorance is to not allow yourself to become your best self.
To Wrap It All Up…
Our belief affects how we view reality, which then influences our actions on reality. Most of what we know about reality is based of theories, theories being explanations of facts. By properly exploring theories, we can grow through Wonder. Humans want to naturally grow, which is made much easier with our sense of Wonder, motivating us to find different perspectives of looking at reality. Refusing to find different perspectives on reality, is known as Ignorance. Ignorance is the refusal of Wonder, which leads to stagnation. Stagnation doesn’t allow for Growth, which is natural in Humans.
What we believe shapes our entire lives. It is better to be exploring in a state of Wonder, rather of limiting oneself in Ignorance.
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