March 8 | Subscribing to Belief

Belief is at the core of what separates us from the animals.

Not a specific belief, but the ability itself to believe. 

The Mona Lisa, internal combustion engine, trampolines, finding the titanic, the existence of Oreos. All great human accomplishments wouldn’t have even been dreamed for a second with sincere belief in something underwriting all of them.

The tragedies, too. Our ability to find more efficient ways of bringing death and destruction to each other for more and more illogical and hurtful reasons—well, they’re fueled by belief, too. 

Because of this, we have a habit of taking the belief business very seriously. 

Our beliefs about the world tend to change very slowly. This is good for a lot of reasons: it protects us from the crazies. Keeps our noses largely clean. Stops us from looking too foolish or straying too far off the map of sanity. 

It’s unfortunate because we act as though our beliefs are inevitable, the only possible thing that any rational person could think given the circumstances we’ve been through. We could not, in good conscious, sincerely believe the earth was flat for a day, despite the immediate knowledge that it would hurt no one and, quite possibly, be a bit of fun. 

Because when you realize you could believe anything, you become responsible for what you do believe. 

And the very best part? The greatest thing about choosing which beliefs to subscribe to?

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