How Does Belief Survived and Grew?

When belief has been set or established, there are two natural processes which works to maintain this belief survival. First process called confirmatory bias. Confirmatory bias is our tendency to just receive or take notice information that matches to our belief. If this information doesn”t match or even contradict to our belief, we’ll ignore this information. Whereas, this information isn’t necessarily wrong.

So, this process functioned as filter that determine the selection of units of information that we received. Confirmatory bias is also called subjective validation or personal validation effect.

One thing that I need to clarify is actually there’s no positive or negative belief. All belief — if we examine deeply — actually has positive purpose for us. A way to evaluate belief is by observe its effect to our-self. Positive belief is belief which support our achievement of success, while negative belief is belief which hamper our achievement of success.

Before you learn the pictures below, remember, each belief has supported foots which prove it is right or true. That supported foots of justification can be some data or fact from any source, whether it’s credible or not, personal someone’s opinion, the conclusion that we make to an accident or occurrence, a meaning which we set to an accident we saw or receive, assumptions, or any information that we receive or we believe its truth.

The image above shows the units of information that is not match with belief X will be rejected and can't join to belief X box. The difference form between information unit and parts of belief which can receive and catch information is called confirmatory bias. Hence, these information will be ignored by selection process, and won't be recorded in memory.

The same thing happen to someone who has belief Y. Through mechanism of confirmatory bias, they're only remember data/information unit which match or support their viewpoint.

By two illustrations above, now you can understand how you've ever felt "stuck" or "outwit" by your own belief while it formed. The actual happening is you're just actively notice everything that match to your "internal reality" which you've been appointed.

Second mechanism that support survival of belief called mental compass. This mental compass is psychological path that will be used by someone when he's encountered difficult, uncertain, or confusing situation.

For example. If you can't apprehend a situation, or feeling anxious, you'll start to search memories, minds, assumptions, or information that similar to this situation, so you'll be assisted to make decision. Belief is mental compass which help you to make decision when you're get uncertain situation.

Concrete example? E.g, suddenly, you're asked to speak in public. You don't have a time to do some rehearsal. When you're feeling depressed or confused, your mind will directly search memories, information, or assumptions which considered to be relevant through this situation. Perhaps, you're remember the past, a few years ago, when you've ever been asked to speak in a meeting forum. At that time, although you've prepared yourself very well, you're still felt not confident, so you can't speak at all. You're become very ashamed.

Then now you think "At that time, when I've prepared myself to speak, I still can't speak. Moreover now, I have no preparation at all, I'm sure it will be more confusing, then more shameful." This mental image will directly make you worry and feel that you can't do this, then you decide to not speak in public. Then you're keep forced or induced to speak in public. Your belief will make you difficult, tense, or not confident to talk, then finally it becomes like you're believe in since a few years ago, that is "I can't speak in public". By this experience, you get one more supported leg which confirming and more strengthening this belief.

It also can be explained using the diagram below

Explanation of diagram above. Negative belief said "I can't speak in public". By this belief, we'll eschew if we're asked to speak in public. If we're still be induced to speak in public, efforts to prepare our-self won't be done maximally. So, what efforts for if we're "already know" that we'll "never be able to" speak in public?

Certainly, those efforts will give results that are not maximal too. When we're speak in public, we'll be speechless, tremble, and the words we say become confusing so we'll be look shameful. Right, once again, we get a proof that we're not capable to speak in public. Then, this result strengthening our negative belief. As well as further. The longer, this belief will be stronger than before.

The same principle applies to positive belief. Positive belief will make us do maximal efforts. This maximal efforts gives results as we expect. These results will strengthening our positive belief. The longer -- by this pattern -- our belief will be stronger.

Now the question is, "What kind of belief that we have? How does belief can affects and determines the way we think, our perception, and the way of our life?"

The answer is here

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