Self-Honesty:Why do you believe what you believe? Why do you act the way you do?

During our last meeting—Mastery of Self—people presented and discussed their beliefs about self-mastery. For some, the very idea of self-mastery was an elaborate illusion: they believed no apex of human development existed beyond achieving their own desires. Other people believed self-mastery meant Theosis—merging with God or some type of transcendent power. And yet some other people believed self-mastery implied attaining a deeper, more complete, understanding of themselves.

For people who rejected any belief in self-mastery, life involved the simple pursuit of happiness. They placed attention on work success, building a family, and obtaining pleasure in different forms. For people who believed in Theosis, life became a long-term quest to resolve a deeply felt longing—a quest that involved lengthy study, discipline, and practices of various kinds. For those who believed self-mastery involved gaining a deeper understanding of themselves, life became a long-term quest to deconstruct their own mind.

Those are just some examples of the way our belief influences—if not dictates—how we live our lives. Given that, it seems, being honest with ourselves about exactly what we believe—and why we believe it—is of paramount importance. Believe—at some level—that you are a bad person, and you may spend most of your life trying to prove you are useful and worthy of attention. Believe—deep down inside—that it is normal for people to walk all over you, and you may decide to stay in an abusive relationship. Believe—unconsciously—that you are inferior to other people, and you may walk around with a ‘chip’ on your shoulder. Believe that there is something missing in your life, and you may, perhaps, pursue Theosis. Believe there is no higher power, and you may live life pursuing simple pleasures. Believe that God is within you, and you may spend your life trying to deconstruct your own mind.

It’s clear that our beliefs have a huge impact in our lives—social, emotional, cognitive, and even biological in the case of somatization. Despite that very few people, it seems, have the desire to pause, look deep inside themselves, and discover exactly what is causing them to believe and act they way they do.

How can you discover your true beliefs about yourself and the world you live in? Are your beliefs always readily apparent?

Can you believe one thing about yourself consciously, and something different about yourself unconsciously? What belief wins and dictates your actions?

How can you discover and consciously question your unconscious beliefs?

Can you intentionally decide to override what you believe through an act of will? Why? Why not???

How much control do you believe you have over your beliefs? Why do you believe you have that degree of control?

Are your beliefs about the world and yourself mostly unconscious—outside your everyday experience—or mostly conscious—something you can question and think about?