Circular Arguments Around Core Beliefs

[Telepresent]

So I've been having an interesting conversation with myself about one of the core fears I'm facing moving forward.  I won't go into specifics because a) that probably won't be of much use/interest to anyone else, and b) I'll ramble for ages.

However, in the process of dealing with it I noticed a fantastic trick I've been playing on myself, which goes something like this:

1. I have a core belief.
2. I am afraid of dealing with it.
3. The reason I am afraid of dealing with it, is that I am afraid of the consequences of doing so.  They would be bad.
4. The consequences are only bad BECAUSE of the core belief.  If it wasn't there, there would be no 'bad' to the consequences.

But I realise so many times I've become stuck on point 3.  I have believed the 'inherent bad-ness' of the potential consequences (most of which I in fact do not know, and what I am imagining is coming from that fear perspective) and so believed that I cannot do it because it is factually bad, evil, wrong, unethical, etc.

So I go round and round in circles, trying to trick myself or convince myself of xyz, to pretend I'm 'further along' than I really am, so that I can actually keep that core belief and avoid the consequences which I am so afraid of.  Which I wouldn't be afraid of if I didn't have the core belief to begin with...

Anyway, thought it was one to share in case anyone else is doing the same!

[cirkussmile]

Thank you for sharing and nice observation.

The root is not core beliefs, the root is the one that can observe core beliefs <3

[Nahm]

@Telepresent i think that's a monumental epiphany.  reminds me of

 

'the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself'

-Donald Trump

[Leo Gura]

@Telepresent Yes, of course, all justifications, reasons, and paradigms are circular. That is their entire function! It's a game.

Try not justifying anything for a week. See how that goes.

[Laputan Machine]

@Telepresent been there. you should definitely try to let go of your core beliefs just to see what will happen, probably not much, at least externally. internally you'll begin to realize just how rigid ideology makes you. personally, i haven't managed to really let go of a core belief but merely move it waaay into the background, but even that allowed me to see the biases that i've got going and now i can catch myself being fallacious to preserve my precious preconceptions about reality