After quite some time, I again got the opportunity and the drive to sit down, contemplate and come up with some thought recipe. This time, it's about belief. That's right... belief - as in any cognitive content held as true.
Before we dive in, have a look at the illustration. Done? Read on....
The belief of someone in something or someone is
based on either or both of the following:
1. Evidence
2. Confidence
Let us go by the generic senses of these words for now and try not getting into the exact definitions. I suggest this because, once we start evaluating and juxtaposing, the true definitions of these words would automatically emerge (or the theory would perish).
All the learning and knowledge base (often referred to as 'science') of the human race suggests that the direction of flow must start from evidence and end at confidence. You perceive something, you analyze it and start believing in the occurrence/ existence of such a thing and hence develop confidence regarding the same. This, as the process suggests, can be called "perception."
E.g.
1. You see a carrot. You perceive that the carrot is orange in color. After seeing a few more carrots, you start to believe that carrots are orange in color. After sufficient (again to be defined consequentially) observations, if someone comes along and asks you the color of a carrot, you will confidently say 'orange.'
2. Education
There also exists the opposite flow direction which is suggestive of the duality and hence the ambiguity of the universe. In this scenario, you develop confidence (inherent or induced) in something, start believing in its existence/ occurrence and hence, either by factuality or by illusion, find evidence to perceive. This can be called a "confidence trick." The word 'trick' in this phrase is merely indicative.
E.g. You acquire knowledge (build confidence) from various sources (books/mags/people etc.) that a particular place is beautiful/ scenic. You start believing that the place is beautiful/ scenic. You finally get the chance to visit the place and then find it to be 'beautiful/ scenic.'
2. Religion
1. Evidence
2. Confidence
Let us go by the generic senses of these words for now and try not getting into the exact definitions. I suggest this because, once we start evaluating and juxtaposing, the true definitions of these words would automatically emerge (or the theory would perish).
All the learning and knowledge base (often referred to as 'science') of the human race suggests that the direction of flow must start from evidence and end at confidence. You perceive something, you analyze it and start believing in the occurrence/ existence of such a thing and hence develop confidence regarding the same. This, as the process suggests, can be called "perception."
E.g.
1. You see a carrot. You perceive that the carrot is orange in color. After seeing a few more carrots, you start to believe that carrots are orange in color. After sufficient (again to be defined consequentially) observations, if someone comes along and asks you the color of a carrot, you will confidently say 'orange.'
2. Education
There also exists the opposite flow direction which is suggestive of the duality and hence the ambiguity of the universe. In this scenario, you develop confidence (inherent or induced) in something, start believing in its existence/ occurrence and hence, either by factuality or by illusion, find evidence to perceive. This can be called a "confidence trick." The word 'trick' in this phrase is merely indicative.
E.g. You acquire knowledge (build confidence) from various sources (books/mags/people etc.) that a particular place is beautiful/ scenic. You start believing that the place is beautiful/ scenic. You finally get the chance to visit the place and then find it to be 'beautiful/ scenic.'
2. Religion
That's all folks!
*Thanks to all my friends and close ones for making my 23rd birthday memorable. :-D
Remote credits to Mr. Krishna Wargat
ReplyDeleteBravo!! Well written post with consistent content. But I don't completely agree with you here.
ReplyDeleteConfidence and Belief are synonyms and confidence necessarily comes from evidence. I think belief is based on Evidence and Love.
So your second point is consistent with this, you can develop confidence in a person or thing you love without ever been given any evidence, hence "finding evidence by illusion".
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteagreed... you brought in a new parameter - 'love'
ReplyDeletealthough my sense of 'confidence' covers love. you see, confidence is a consequence and love can be one of the causes.
But belief? belief is the establishment of that confidence you invest. making sense?
Good Post....Your post is based on inductive reasoning where you gain confidence after observing series of individual instances sequentially.But confidence/belief if built on this basic premise need always be true.
ReplyDeleteEx:People always thought that swans are white as they only saw white swans.Their belief is based on observing only white swans.Once they saw a black swan their entire belief proved to be false.
We rather should base our belief systems on the existence of the presence of black swans in our lives.
This is way ahead of normal thinking. My theory had a generic approach to it. Hence, it accommodates the possibility of people basing their belief on 'just' what they observe. Your theory is of a more intellectual nature.... hard to expect majority to adopt it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were a legendary GHOT!
ReplyDeleteAnd like ReddY (Back ground sound "OMG! he is soo awesome!!") says belief and confidence are close. In fact from what I see belief sometimes doesn't even need an evidence. Now if you bring something as abstract as God! why do people believe in god? Believe so badly that they create fake evidences to make others believe (I mean that's like beyond reddy's convincing abilities). Such beliefs have something else other than evidence, emotion or something? I don't know the word.
Let me put it this way....
ReplyDeleteThe word 'confidence' is basically carrying a different meaning here.... It is the word that you are searching for... ("emotion or something?")
and you just described the exact procedure that I called 'confidence trick' The concept of God is a confidence trick where-in evidence is an effect and not a cause.