On Believing

In general, believing anything is nothing more than a choice. You do or, you don’t. Period. No matter what ‘proof’ is or is not offered. No matter what example given, precedent set. No matter how fanciful and seemingly impossible. What you believe is nothing more than a choice you make about something.

So what happens when you do not believe something some one else does?  Almost always we jump immediately to gods, in all their sizes, shapes, demeanor’s, incarnations and intentions. Typically gods are things based on believing.  Gods are not my topic.

Truth. Truth has come to me to be as fleeting and suspect as gods. Truth has become a matter of choice. To believe or not to believe, that is the question! (thanks be to Bill). Much like the option for someone to believe in their truth, believe that they are, in fact telling the truth, it is also an option for someone else to not believe it. “What you are saying, I believe to be false”.

The hard part here is; what is the intention, the motive behind the difference in opinion? Is the truth being peddled to the non-believer a lie or does the speaker mean it, believe what they are saying to be true? Does the one listening have something to base their non-belief on or just going on a feeling? Precedent is a strong thing to go against. History.

If it is not a lie, intentional deception, what can be done to reconcile the separation? How can the void be spanned in a way that both can accept? Time? Simply wait and see if history does in fact repeat? How long before the skeptic can relax and admit believing the wrong thing? When does the “truth” become common between the two? Or does the speaker repeat history?

Each side so certain that their opinion, what they believe is in fact the truth, a stand-off of belief. A stare down of the heart, mind and soul. Both sides pained, angered, confused by the perceived deception, betrayal and lack of faith, trust.

Two people so close in space there is literally no separation. Two people so far apart in believing each other the universe itself could not fill the void.

Is there any truth at all? Is there anything left worth believing in?

A V