We may believe in Darwinian Evolution, and of course much of the scientific community would be supportive of that belief. The credentials of those who share that belief become for most of us the security we need to accept this idea at face value. In other words, we find the idea credible because we find the teachers credible. However, those teachers have likewise to some extent accepted the teachings of others that they found credible. Even if they are reporting the results of their own research they must be willing to believe what they see.
As such all of the facts we hold in our minds are ultimately the result of a passive or active decision to believe.
Now I am not preaching a form of academic nihilism. Some may take this truth to an extreme and dismiss large parts of the collective and cumulative human experience on the grounds that nothing is ultimately provable. I am not in this camp. Rather, I choose to view this truth as proof of the power of belief. We structure our entire individual and collective minds on a combination of our own beliefs and trust in the beliefs of others. And we form a complex scaffold of belief.
Of course, there is no view that I can discern which is universally held by all people, or even two people. Our own experiences vary so much that the best we can hope for is some degree of alignment in our beliefs. You can see this when two people have a conversation on a point they agree on. The deeper they dig the more likely they will find some “Yeah, but…” that leads them to identify areas of disagreement.
And of course, being the limited creatures that we are, we usually view these minor differences as a “Right” and “Wrong” issue. In fact, our slightly different inputs have led to slightly different beliefs.
One may again become pessimistic over the apparent chaos this implies. If no two people believe exactly the same, then how can we ever achieve a measure of harmony?
Every rock in my driveway is unique. Yet, when viewed on the whole the pattern of uniqueness becomes a beautiful tapestry in which every distinction becomes a welcome part of the whole. Uniqueness and sameness cease to be antagonists, and become inseparable partners to the whole.
So our diversity of beliefs adds to the rich tapestry of society. We choose to believe, we view others as antagonists to our beliefs at times, but in that uniqueness there is beauty.
Not only is belief at the root of everything we think we know, it is at the root of our uniqueness and sameness. It structures our minds, our personalities, and the societies in which we find ourselves.
Belief is at the root of everything. Belief has infinite value.
