What is a belief? The etimology of the word "belief"

[Fernanda]

It seems to be somewhat a consensus in self-development comunities that our BELIEFS limit our mind-reality.

I was thinking about what is actually a belief and decided to take a look at the origin of the word:

from Proto-Germanic *ga-laubjan "to believe," perhaps literally "hold dear (or valuable, or satisfactory), to love" (source also of Old Saxon gilobian "believe," Dutch geloven, Old High German gilouben, German glauben), ultimately a compound based on PIE root *leubh- "to care, desire, love" (see belief).

So, to believe is a way of caring, a way of loving. To break the chains of beliefs and to experience reality in a conscious way, then, I guess we need to not care as much about what seems so important and love all of reality with the same intensity. It implies caring and also not caring, letting everything fall into nothingness, get unattached by the events that are leading to a certain direction. 

A limiting belief is a biased way of experiencing reality, I guess. A veil that prevents us from experiencing a broader sense of love-truth-reality.

What do you think? 

 

[Gesundheit2]

A belief is a thought that we think, but don't think about. And like all things, it's a duality. So to believe some things, we'd have to disbelieve in others. And to love some things, we'd have to hate others.

[Fernanda]

@Gesundheit2 perfect. So, in order to change a belief we have to see the implicit duality and the results it generates, I guess?

[Gesundheit2]

@Fernanda I guess it depends on the kind of belief itself. Like are we talking about limiting beliefs? Or about metaphysical beliefs? Or some other kind of beliefs? Of course they can overlap, but I think it helps to first identify the beliefs that we want to change, then the level where they are at, and to be clear about the desired outcome that's expected from inquiring into them.

[Batman]

A belief is a conceptual replacement for some fact or truth. It is assuming something rather than becoming directly conscious of it.

You can believe that you left the door unlocked, or you can go and check if that is the case. You can believe that reality is infinite, or you can become conscious of it.

A belief is never true, by definition. It is a conceptual activity in the mind uses to fill something you are not conscious of. It is actually preferred to have no belief, because belief can block you from the openness that is needed for you to become truly conscious. For example, you may believe that you are incapable of creating an intimate relationship with a significant other. Therefore, you won't be open to experience such relationship, and that lack of openness will perpetuate the belief, making it more solid and real.

The entire domain of beliefs is antithetical to the pursuit of truth. 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Batman

[Fernanda]

@Batman if the ultimate truth is that we are infinity, in theory, we could experience anything we will. The only thing preventing us to experience something is our beliefs. One of the hardest endevours in this journey of self development is to be conscious of those beliefs, because they show in desguise. In the example you gave about relationships...I could not know consciously that I believe that I am incapable of a relationship with a significant other, but let's say that's the truth because I keep getting the same results in life. 

[Federico del pueblo]

@Fernanda

For personal development purposes I would suggest that a belief is a thought which's content you believe to be true.

Like you might have the belief "I'm a Brazilian girl".

Typically a belief has a corresponding emotion, which makes you feel like the belief is true.

This is what makes limiting beliefs so challenging. Sure you can choose to think another thought that differs from your limiting belief, but it will feel like you're lying to yourself whereas thinking your limiting belief will feel like you're thinking the truth.

[gettoefl]

belief needs to become knowledge, knowledge needs to become experience, experience need to become existence

belief knowledge experience are all mental constructs

Things happen round me, but I take no part in them. An event becomes an experience only when I am emotionally involved. I am in a state which is complete, which seeks not to improve on itself. Of what use is experience to me? ~Nisargadatta

[Fernanda]

@Federico del pueblo exactly. I could believe I am Brazilian or I could feel that I am not even human. I do think each and every belief can be questioned, since infinity is the ultimate truth. I tantra philosophy the invitation is to have better serving beliefs, since we do have to experience illusion in a sense, otherwise, like Leo said we would fall under the floor.

 

@gettoeflI see. True knowledge, true seeking, empowers us to face the fears that sustain our beliefs. Not getting involved is the key. Very cool stuff.

 

Thank you guys, a lot, a lot.

[gettoefl]

1 minute ago, Fernanda said:

 

@gettoeflI see. True knowledge, true seeking, empowers us to face the fears that sustain our beliefs. Not getting involved is the key. Very cool stuff.

could not have put it any better myself  i am enjoying your insights

[Matthew85]

5 hours ago, Fernanda said:

A limiting belief is a biased way of experiencing reality, I guess. A veil that prevents us from experiencing a broader sense of love-truth-reality.

What do you think? 

@Fernanda Yes, that is one way of describing it. Somehow our dominant belief's and assumptions affect the reality that is projected for us to experience. Or if you subscribe to the concept of infinite realties, our beliefs and assumptions determine what reality our consciousness aligns with and experiences. 

[Fernanda]

3 hours ago, gettoefl said:

could not have put it any better myself  i am enjoying your insights

Thanks?

 

2 hours ago, Matthew85 said:

Or if you subscribe to the concept of infinite realties, our beliefs and assumptions determine what reality our consciousness aligns with and experiences. 

@Matthew85 Right! So, our beliefs and assumptions are rendering reality in a way, right? The challenge is to be conscious of them.

[Carl-Richard]

Beliefs are building blocks of the mind, meaning the universe. They literally construct the contents of your experience.

[WelcometoReality]

@Fernanda Our beliefs is what we hold to be true. We don't even think about our beliefs as beliefs until we consciously looked at them and seen them for what they are. We might still have the belief after it has been recognized but we don't cling to it anymore.

8 hours ago, Fernanda said:

A limiting belief is a biased way of experiencing reality, I guess. A veil that prevents us from experiencing a broader sense of love-truth-reality.

Every belief that is held as true is a limiting belief but yes, well said. ?

[Matthew85]

2 hours ago, Fernanda said:

Right! So, our beliefs and assumptions are rendering reality in a way, right? The challenge is to be conscious of them.

@Fernanda Yes they are. What I am not sure of is if they are rendering reality or there are infinite realities and our dominant belief's, assumption's and expectations determine the reality our consciousness experiences. Either way, the result is the same. Yes, becoming conscious of them is important. We adopt many very limited belief's from other people, culture and society that often are not conscious. Belief's are designed to constantly reinforce themselves, so making a new belief dominant is not always easy, but you can do it with focus and persistence 

[Gesundheit2]

So many beliefs about beliefs in here haha ???‍?‍?

[lmfao]

As beliefs get more and more decoupled from reality, we might imagine the value of beliefs to be found in negating other beliefs. And the more beliefs they negate, the more they transpose themselves upon a singularity of some reality (A possible reality, or an alleged reality) 

The people on this forum for example are mainly adopting beliefs for the sake of negating materialism

Edited May 12, 2022 by lmfao