This article could easily be entitled, “What do you believe in?” except that “belief” and “knowing” are two different things [1]. Belief is defined as “confidence reposed on a person or a thing.” It is “a set of attitudes that we have about the world; while such attitudes can be either true or false.” Belief also denotes the “taking something as true, regardless of whether it is so or not, or whether it has been proven to be so or not.”
Given that our belief determines our attitude, our perception, and the meaning we give to things [2]. Given that our belief determines what we focus on, it may become evident to most that regular inquiry into our beliefs may be the wisest thing we undertake. Furthermore, given how our belief determines our associated thoughts, emotions or feelings; and how they determine our behaviors, habits, our results, and our identity, it may become palpable why one of the best gifts we can give to ourselves, would be to explore the following inquiries:
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Which of my current beliefs may have been rather limiting?
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Which of my beliefs has been behind my unhealthy habits or behind the types of results I’ve been getting in my life?
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Which of my current beliefs, if I were to give up, would drastically change my life for the better?
In other words, it is worth looking into our beliefs, given how much they run our life. Yet, this article is about something that goes beyond that and is different than our beliefs. It starts with the question, “What do you know for sure?”
Etymologically, “to know” means “to recognize,” or “to identify.” It also means “to be able to distinguish,” “to experience,” or “to live through. [3]”
Once again, when we believe something, we don’t examine it; we don’t examine our thoughts or feelings about it; rather, we simply believe it. As such, we rarely call it into question or inspect it, much less do we stop for some introspection. We take it for granted because it is what we believe.
On the other hand ,and as stated above, to know is to recognize, to identify, to distinguish, and to experience. This is not based on what others say, or what others try to convince you of, or even what others show you. Rather, it is based on what you know for sure. Yet there is a caveat: just like our beliefs can be limiting, how do we know that what we know for sure is not equally limiting? In other words, might we know something “for sure,” but it ends up being limiting just like most, if not all, of our beliefs are?
To make matters worse, even in Science, it is said, “The great truths of today are the great lies of tomorrow.” In other words, what we think we have enough scientific evidence for today will, with certainty, end up being proven to be untrue, sooner or later. What a dilemma. What do we know for sure then? Yet the moment you start to ask such a question is when you allow yourself to find the answer.
Discovering what you know for sure is part of a process that entails the definition itself of “to know,” which is “to distinguish.” To distinguish means “to point out.” This means to know is to “point out” all your current beliefs that are limiting and proceed with sorting out what is and what is not. “What is” is what is “True.” What is “True” is what does not change. And distinguishing that which changes from that which does not change is your door to knowing for sure.
Your next step, then, is to find out that which does not change so you can wisely distinguish it from what does change. And this process will best be done through an exploration through the following inquiry:
What are the things that do not change, no matter what?
If you take a few minutes daily to explore this inquiry, we promise you that you will get to uncover the things that you know for sure and that are so and will always be so ,because they are really certain, True, and not limiting.
If you want to learn more about this, we invite you to join our full-day CEU online seminar on Personality Disorders, scheduled for Friday, February 12th. You see when you learn to recognize that which does not change, you then start to have a different level of insight into what it means to be a human being, into character, into personality, and therefore into personality disorder.
Are you ready to take that next level in your professional and personal life? Then join us now. And we look forward to seeing you then.
Karen and Mardoche
[1] The Difference Between Believing and Knowing.
[2] Sathyanarayana Rao, T S et al. “The biochemistry of belief.” Indian journal of psychiatry vol. 51,4 (2009): 239-41. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.58285
[3] Know (v.).