Flourishing Life Society
  • Flourishing Life Society
    • Flourishing Favorites
    • Articles by Year Published
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
  • Psychology Definitions
  • Psychology of Wellness
    • Psychology of Emotions >
      • Emotional Data Base
    • Psychology Article Archive
  • Personal Development
    • Health and Fitness
    • Personal Development >
      • Personal Development Archive N-Z
  • Flourishing Relationships
Home | Personal Development | Knowledge Archive | Search for Truth

Search for Truth

Autonomous Beliefs

BY: T. Franklin Murphy | March  2019 (edited January 7, 2022)
A heard of Sheep walking down the road. A Flourishing Life Society article on autonomous searches for truth
Adobe Stock Images
Many unseen forces combine to create beliefs. We believe we are autonomous in our search for truth but often settle for what others proclaim without further investigation.
Like sheep, we blindly follow. Afraid to question or examine, we allow others to dictate our beliefs, create our destiny and imprison our souls. 

"It seems that the majority of men are suggestible, half-awake children, willing to surrender their will to anyone who speaks with a voice that is threatening or sweet enough to sway them. Indeed, he who has a conviction strong enough to withstand the opposition of the crowd is the exception rather than the rule, an exception often admired centuries later, mostly laughed at by his contemporaries." Erich Fromm (2010, Location 86).
 
We believe we are independent, acting according to the dictates of our superior logic. We proclaim freedom of choice. But often this isn’t the case. As Fromm suggests, we are half-awake children surrendering to anyone who is threatening or sweet enough to sway our opinion. We need more skepticism. We should scrutinize proclamations—especially when personal well-being is at stake. Our biological organism responds to the senses and acts.

​We fail to integrate conflicting beliefs. Social mores, customs and habits invisibly influence our minds. Our behaviors seem so natural, we don’t recognize the underlying biases pulling strings and pushing action. Until we see a bias, we can’t examine it for correctness. Many beliefs need deconstructing; they prevent us from experiencing the richness in the life we desire.
"Our behaviors seem so natural, we don’t recognize the underlying biases pulling strings and pushing action." 

Simple Answers to Complex Questions

Simple beliefs provide hope and require little. These believes attract, exciting our souls. Perhaps giving a reprieve from anxiety ridden lives. Sometimes moving forward in complexity overwhelms. The unknowns frighten. So, we settle on simple answers to complex problems.

​Hope is essential—we need a worthwhile future to motivate action and escape the present distress. But fanatical beliefs of a paradisaical future aren’t helpful. Simplified beliefs eventually discourage when much of the essential work is left undone.
​Likable beliefs go viral—whether they are true or not; only valiant searchers discover the more complex truths. Wisdom requires scrupulously examining evidence to  combat attractive lies. No man, woman, religion, political movement, group, or scientist has exclusive claim on truth.
 

We must step back to courageously examine our beliefs, uncover our biases, and open our minds to new discoveries. It’s okay to be a little skeptical, really. Believe me!
Please support Flourishing Life Society with a social media share or by visiting a link:
Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
T. Franklin Murphy
T. Franklin Murphy
Wellness. Writer. Researcher.
​T. Franklin Murphy has a degree in psychology. He tirelessly researches scientific findings that contribute to wellness. In 2010, he began publishing his findings.

Resources:

Fromm, E. (2010). The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil. American Mental Health Association. Retrieved from Kindle.
A Flourishing Life Society link. Spirituality
A Flourishing Life Society article link. Cognitive Dissonance
Picture Link: Venturing into the Unknown-- Carefully moving forward in a complex world.
Wellness Links:
External Link: 7-Question Quiz: What’s Your Wellness Type?
External Link: How Gratitude Beats Materialism
External Link. Observing nature in your backyard is not dull but radically significant
External Link. Why Putting Off Growth Work Only Makes Life More Complicated
External Link. Focusing on time instead of money can make you happier
External Link. What My Son’s Final Words Taught Me About Happiness
External Link: mindfulness meditation helps cultivate self-transcendence

​Other Flourishing Life Society articles of interest on this topic:

We get stuck in an existential funk, searching for meaning. Life may not readily appear meaningful; but we can give life meaning.
Picture
FLS link. Mindfulness and calming the mind; Thoughts can pull us from the present and land us in a world of worry and regret. Through a developed practice of mindfulness, we can better sooth our agitated mind and re-discover peace.
Flourishing Life Society article link. Advice
​Positive attitudes boost performance; but if our performance is ill designed we still fail.
Picture
Intrigued by secrets, we seek the hidden, wasting precious time chasing unknown promises. Success is no secret formula. We achieve through consistent skilled effort, blessed by a little luck.
The universe is immense and knowledge abound. We can never understand everything. Our perspective limits our views. We must open to the knowledge of others to escape our subjective prisons.
Banner link: Punishing Imperfection-  Critical self-judgments create an unfriendly environment for growth. Under harsh conditions the self-begins to conceal reality to protect the soul.
Skeptic or Cynic. A Flourishing Life Society article link
FLS link. Search for Truth
Flourishing Life Society
  • Human Flourishing
  • Psychology of Wellness
  • Flourishing Relationships
  • Psychology Definitions​
  • Privacy Policy
​Other Links
  • About US
  • Companion Site​
  • Most Popular Articles
  • Psychology Topics A-z
Articles:
  • New Articles​
  • Last year's Publications​
  • External Psychology Links​
​Favorite Topics:
  • Mental Illness Archive
  • Personality Archive
  • Personal Development
  • Psychology of Emotions
News Letter

    New Article Updates

Subscribe to Newsletter