495 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 55 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
Exclusive to OpEd News:
OpEdNews Op Eds    H4'ed 1/14/18

Daily Inspiration — Challenging your own beliefs

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   No comments, In Series: Daily Inspiration

Josh Mitteldorf
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Josh Mitteldorf
Become a Fan
  (53 fans)

If you read something that fits in well with your current framework of beliefs, the chances are good that you'll learn something new, and integrate a new piece of knowledge with what you already know. But the chance that you'll be moved to change and grow are close to zero.

If you read something that doesn't fit with what you presently know and believe, chances are good that you'll disbelieve it, you'll forget the information, or put it out of your mind. But in the rare event that you believe it, take it in and integrate it, the potential for change and growth and personal transformation is high.

Jigsaw
Jigsaw
(Image by sk8geek)
  Details   DMCA

Inevitably, most of what we read is in the first category, and rightly so. But don't limit your reading to the familiar and the comfortable. Once or twice a week, take in something that you deeply disagree with. Read something that you know in advance is wrong and misguided, even morally depraved.

Let yourself take it in. How would you answer someone who thinks this way? What would you say to him to win him over to your own perspective? If he attacked your beliefs at their most vulnerable point, how would you defend yourself?

If appropriate, you might take a step further: If I had the same life experiences as this person, would my beliefs be like his? Who do I know who has changed over the years from a perspective like this one to a perspective like mine? Who do I know who has changed in the other direction, starting from beliefs that agree with my present views, evolving toward these alien ideas that I just read?

Well Said 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Josh Mitteldorf Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in


Josh Mitteldorf, de-platformed senior editor at OpEdNews, blogs on aging at http://JoshMitteldorf.ScienceBlog.com. Read how to stay young at http://AgingAdvice.org.
Educated to be an astrophysicist, he has branched out from there (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter

Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Twitter Bans The Donald

Cold Fusion: Tangible Hope in an Age of Despair

Artificial Earthquakes

New Scientific Study: Smoking Gun Evidence of 9/11 Explosives in WTC Dust

PayPal cuts off Bradley Manning Legal Defense; Backs Off under Grass Roots Pressure

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend