Here’s something to consider believing in from the files of The Grasshopper:

“Is or Isn’t are the Only Choices”

Something either exists or it doesn’t. If it does, it doesn’t need our belief in it to sustain its existence.

We all believe in stuff we can’t prove. Beliefs are conditioned mental patterns
that don’t pay attention to the reality of “is or isn’t.”

There may be a host of things we believe in still waiting to be proved. Think of poor Galileo who spent the last days of his life in prison because he claimed the Earth rotated around the sun. Beliefs, even when they are correct, can imprison you.

A worthy endeavor to do, just for fun, is to put your sacred cows to the “is or
isn’t” test. List a few of your fervent and casual beliefs and put a checkmark
next to it only if it can be proven to be “is.”

Gravity comes to mind. I believe in it and it is in the “is” category, so it gets a check. No sane person is arguing against gravity. Conversely, I don’t believe people are born “rude”; I believe they are conditioned that way. I’m certain there are knowlegable people somewhere who will cite studies that “rudeness” is in the DNA. As much as I would like to, I can’t put that belief of mine in the”is” column.

As stated in previous writings, reality has no opposite. It either is or isn’t. Is something real, or only real to you? That’s the test for is or isn’t. It doesn’t matter if you can line up friends and experts to make your case. If there are friends and experts with opposing views, you are arguing about beliefs or arguing “facts in a vacuum.”

What you will find is that most of your beliefs can’t pass the “is” test. That’s a clue for you to stop arguing for your beliefs. You can certainly offer them, but if you become argumentative, you have just joined in the ongoing conversation that goes nowhere.

It’s silly of me to think that people will stop arguing about things like politics and religion; it’s been going on for thousands of years. But what if my goal is not to reach all people but only you and me?

What would happen in our lives if we stopped arguing for what we can’t prove? My guess is we would make a space for connectivity and get a lot more accomplished. But I can’t prove that. You’ll have to test it yourself to find out if it “is or isn’t.”

All the best,

John