NECESSARY BELIEFS

I visited “Bill’s” page and found that he had written, “belief is irrelevant.” Sadly, this sentiment characterizes so many seekers today.

However, Bill’s one belief leaves his home unguarded and vulnerable to dangerous intruders. It is often said, and for good reason, that “If you don't stand for something (some belief) you will fall for anything.”

I think that this saying conveys some very important truths. For one thing, the human mind, when lacking beliefs, is a sponge for invading beliefs. To reject beliefs entirely is to leave us vulnerable an army of prowling destructive or maladaptive beliefs, seeking an open door.

Some of the most dangerous beliefs emerge from the swamp within, our dark-side. Thoughts of unforgiveness, bitterness, and revenge will poison the well, depriving us of joy. How are these to be countered? By beliefs like, “Such thoughts are deadly vipers, which must be confronted!” or “Our lives are enriched as we practice love and virtue towards others!”

Other beliefs are more inchoate and barely detectable. They can say, “I am suffering and I don’t know why. There must be something terribly the matter with me.” One young lady thought this way, and this belief became life-controlling. She needed an explanation, a diagnosis, any:

• The psychiatrist confirmed her early diagnosis, proposing that she had bipolar II, a less severe form of the disorder. Laura was relieved to hear the doctor say that her distress stemmed from an illness. “It was like being told, It’s not your fault. You are not lazy. You are not irresponsible.” After she left the appointment, she felt joyful. “The psychiatrist told me who I was in a way that felt more concrete than I’d ever conceptualized before,” she said. “It was as though he could read my mind, as though I didn’t need to explain anything to him, because he already knew what I was going to say. I had bipolar disorder. I’d had it all along.” She called her father, crying. “I have good news,” she said. “He’s figured out the problem.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/the-challenge-of-going-off-psychiatric-drugs

It didn’t go well for Laura. While she did receive temporary relief by believing that there was a medical basis for her problems, and therefore she could stop blaming herself, it didn’t last. However, Laura’s life illustrates our very human need to understand ourselves. When our self-beliefs mirror the reality of our lives, we can better exercise control and manage ourselves more effectively. Without beliefs, we are left adrift in a sea of confusion.

Professor of Psychology, Jordan Peterson, maintains that uncertainly needs to be addressed in hope of achieving correct beliefs:

·       …uncertainty presents a fundamental (and unavoidable) challenge to the integrity of any complex organism. (a) Uncertainty poses a critical adaptive challenge for any organism, so individuals are motivated to keep it at a manageable level; (b) uncertainty emerges as a function of the conflict between competing perceptual and behavioral affordances; (c) adopting clear goals and belief structures helps to constrain the experience of uncertainty by reducing the spread of competing affordances; and (d) uncertainty is experienced subjectively as anxiety…

However, Laura wasn’t able to answer her most basic question – “Who am I” – at least for a number of years. Each successive psychiatrist arrived with his own diagnosis and an array of accompanying drugs and dosages to manage Laura’s problems. However, after many years and diagnoses, Laura kicked the drugs and now advises how others might do the same. Now, in her 30’s, she is considering marriage. It also seems that she has achieved a degree of stabilizing self-acceptance:

·       “It’s not, like, ‘Laura has finally arrived,’” she said. “If anything, these trappings of whatever you want to call it—life?—have made things scarier.” She still felt overwhelmed by the tasks of daily life, like too many e-mails accumulating, and she cried about five times a week. She was too sensitive. She let situations escalate…but, she said, “If I actually sat in front of a psychiatrist and did an evaluation, I would totally meet the criteria for a number of diagnoses.” But the diagnostic framework no longer felt meaningful to her.

The article concludes:

·       Laura agreed that she was experiencing “the stuff of being alive that I just had no idea was possible for me.” But, she said, “it’s not like I’m good to go. Literally every day, I am still wondering how to be an adult in this world.”

She is still seeking to understand herself, although no longer through a psychiatric lens. Perhaps she has even despaired of finding a higher narrative to explain her life. I hope not. There are beliefs that can help her navigate life’s threats and challenges more peacefully and meaningfully.

Laura needs to know that there is an all-powerful and loving God who will accompany her always. If she believed this, her meltdowns wouldn’t be so crushing. Instead, she would know that from these, her God was producing something better (Romans 8:28). She would understand that her weaknesses and vulnerabilities are serving a higher good, a heavenly good, as she waits for her God to mold her melted parts into jewelry (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Bill has to understand that he cannot empty his life of beliefs without first having other beliefs to enforce his verdict. Consequently, he has to understand that, if having beliefs is inevitable, it is far better to have accurate beliefs. He also has to understand that his beliefs will govern his life, even if he rejects them:

·       Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you… (Proverbs 2:3-11)