I am truly stunned when I contemplate the things I believe without evidence. What is equally stunning is the penchant to argue for those beliefs. It can lead to a lifetime of arguments that never get resolved.

When we argue for our beliefs, we are arguing for our conditioning. After all, we weren’t born with any beliefs. Our beliefs, for the most part, were someone else’s beliefs passed on to us without our permission. We believed in (fill in the blank) before we even knew what a belief was.

Some people can make a good argument for their beliefs because they include some evidence, but notice that they often leave out any available evidence to the contrary.

Then there is the “True Believer.” That’s the person with no evidence at all. You would encounter more facts if you argued with a turnip.

I have more respect for someone who says, “I have no convincing evidence to back this up, but this is what I believe,” than I have for someone who espouses a belief with an anemically weak argument.

Just look at the amount of unprovable drivel some of your Facebook friends pass on without evidence just because someone they like said it.

We’re not going to stop believing anytime soon but I wonder how many less arguments we would engage in if we began to examine our beliefs.

What we will find is a bevy of unsubstantiated grist for the argument mill.

If you truly believe in something, make it your mission to find the evidence, rather than arguing for the rest of your life about something you have an opinion about.

It really comes down to this: Do you want to set up arguments and foment contention for the rest of your days? If so, become a talk show host. If not, stop arguing for your limitations – which are your beliefs without evidence.

All the best,

John