Developing Your Own Beliefs and Values
The hallmark of any philosophical venture and the living philosophically is to think critically about your own beliefs and values and to determine what you care about the most. Once you figure out what your beliefs and values are, you will be able to act and make authentic decisions.
But one may ask, why is this is so important? Why do we have to think authentically? The answer is quite obvious to some and no so obvious to others. For myself, the importance of thinking for myself was screaming at me. That is one of the reasons why philosophy so appealed to me when I was an undergraduate.
Many philosophers have asserted that what distinguishes humans from animals is our ability to think rationally and authentically. So, thinking for ourselves also fits into this category of making us more fully human and also guarantees that we will have a much more meaningful and fulfilling life.
Thinking authentically doesn’t necessarily ensure that we will have an easier life. However, thinking authentically will ensure that we make decisions that resonate with our beliefs and values, and that is important if we are to lead a life that is worthy and ethical.
Thinking authentically can also help us to not be manipulated by others. When we know what our beliefs and values are about a particular topic, we won’t be manipulated or convinced by others to abandon our values so that we conform to everyone else’s values. This is what gives our life meaning and significance.
But most importantly, thinking authentically can help us develop a permanent sense of self. Once we live on the basis of a relatively consistent set of beliefs and values, we will act in a way that is predictable and in a way that defines who we are. Determining who we are in this way is one of the most meaningful things that we could do for ourselves.
So, take a few minutes each day to think about what is important to you. What are some of your beliefs and values? You may want to write them down and then when you have a difficult time making a decision, use your deeply held values to make your decision. You will be really glad that you did.
© Irene S. Roth, January 13 , 2010
Related posts:
- Autonomous Decision Making Applying philosophy to your everyday life can play a central...
- How To Untangle Your Beliefs Our beliefs literally shape our reality, your world is totally...
- The Importance of Philosophy for our Times Over the next few months, I will be blogging on...
- Our Beliefs About Our Mental Health Having a mental health problem such as Depression, Bipolar disorder...
- The Application of Philosophy To Adaptation, Change, and Goal Achievement The very autonomy that philosophy can give us the freedom...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
