Genuine Conviction

I would like to discuss a topic that is something I have confronted in my own spiritual journey, as well as something that riddles my mind in terms of its analysis of the spiritual community. And that is the idea of having opinions, and having conviction in your opinions. Now, there is this most apparent and widespread problem of arrogant false certainty in your views, and associated closed-mindedness. Undoubtedly this is a major problem to tackle. This has long been taken for spiritual wisdom, 'my wisdom is in not knowing' as Socrates said. But in my view of the spiritual scene, and in my experience, this itself becomes a problem.

You follow this line of reasoning, and you want to say you don't believe anything, you don't have any opinions. But I feel like we do this out of a grasping for comfort, moreso than as a result of genuine illumination. Now, ultimately I basically do agree with this general idea that we don't really 'know' anything with absolute certainty, and that it is a major tendency of ours to fall into a false sense of certainty. But this whole 'I have no opinions on anything' shtick eventually begins to seem disingenuous. Sometimes I find it incredibly refreshing for someone to speak with real conviction.

At times this can be a real mark of fearless, genuine honesty. And it seems obvious to me spiritual people, in reality, have various opinions clearly at work in actuality in their minds, but they want to repress it in terms of their conscious expression. So they say 'I have no opinion.' And maybe you are appealing to a good and wise principle. But there is a creative and expressive fire within ourselves, and we repress it as we remain stuck in a hodgepodge of indecision out of obligation to a devotion to the principle of not forming opinions. Remember that the Tao is in the opinion as much as it is in the lack of opinion. Remember that if unity is reality, it is unconditional. And let this knowledge alleviate the sense of obligation towards indecision. And let yourself be honest, and if you feel something within yourself, express it.

I form opinions and make judgements all the time. I honestly can't imagine making good decisions any other way!

I suppose the trick seems to be to remain open to new information and retain the ability to change your opinion even if it means you were wrong.


Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge -- Charles Darwin

a reply to: TheJourney

Great post. Very needed.

Regarding belief. People sometimes kill and die for what they believe in. In theory, If they believed in the world and other people, rather than some spiritual principle,some romantic ideal, or their own lack of belief, it would negate all that might oppose them.

Regarding certainty, there's a fine line between confidence and stupidity, but certainty is just varying degrees of confidence.

Regarding opinions, maybe it isn't the opinion itself we should be overly concerned with, but the strengthening of the opinion having faculties.

I should clarify further. One should allow oneself expression. With this 'no opinion' thing, creative expression can become stifled. It can become a simple case of repeating 'I have no opinion' again and again, and all novelty and creativity is stifled. So express yourself as you honestly feel, but don't remain attached to your expression.

As we come to understand the Spiritual Realm it proves to be an infinite myriad of manifestations....some richly varied, others incomprehensible.

It is completely natural to reach a state of personal bliss and begin to reject further advancement. We all have differing opinions about what constitutes "enlightenment". However, the sad truth remains that one persons Heaven can still be another persons Hell.

Some reach their personal goals and will adamantly defend their positions within that realm. Others keep exploring, seeking their personal peace.

We claim no authority on any of these matters, as we have yet to establish absolute finite conclusions. Opinions are good. They help define personal boundaries and keep the mind clear of untoward clutter.

If one desperately desires steak and potatoes, it's unreasonable to expect them settle for jello and oatmeal.

I often say that I have no beliefs. I do not, however, claim to not have opinions. I think the distinction is noteworthy.

I have opinions, views and perceptions......and I do not fail to express them openly and honestly. In doing so, I remain highly aware that those may change at any moment, with new information, experience, or changes in perspective that may arise.

In my mind (right now), a belief indicates that one has chosen to cling to a specific view regardless of what new information might enter awareness.

originally posted by: Bluesma
I often say that I have no beliefs. I do not, however, claim to not have opinions. I think the distinction is noteworthy.

I have opinions, views and perceptions......and I do not fail to express them openly and honestly. In doing so, I remain highly aware that those may change at any moment, with new information, experience, or changes in perspective that may arise.

In my mind (right now), a belief indicates that one has chosen to cling to a specific view regardless of what new information might enter awareness.

That's a good point. I would agree, and say the same thing for myself.

I see "my wisdom is in not knowing" as questioning your own thought and what you know of "what is". Not knowing mean that you can explore and build up a model with the use of critical thinking that is different than what you are taught by others.

By not being 100% sure the model you have created is correct you can by experience change the model to be closer to "what is" than what you are taught is. With every iteration of objective examination you come closer to objective understanding.

Namaste

a reply to: TheJourney
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
― Socrates

Now, ultimately I basically do agree with this general idea that we don't really 'know' anything with absolute certainty, and that it is a major tendency of ours to fall into a false sense of certainty.

When one recognizes that one knows nothing, one might look a little deeper.

To believe is to take some position. When one takes a position then there rises duality of the subject giving rise to the possibility of extremes and bias... based on the unfounded. Some do this simply out of tradition, some do it out of experience. The problem is taking the belief as truth either through tradition or experience. Note we are not talking about facts, though we have some rote truth we have not experienced... we accept this and it could be called a belief on a personal level.

It is entirely possible to live without belief, most belief is a crutch or coping mechanism... sure it works to placate oneself with mental difficulties. But this is placebo effect, and people think if they pray harder etc. then whatever will be over come, this is a self delusion. Whatever it is will pass out of consciousness on it's own due to impermanence. The only reason compulsions, habits, guilt, etc. stick around is making them a point of mental focus tosses a log onto the fire of consciousness.

Opinions can be had separate from duality, they neither confirm nor deny beliefs people hold by an unbiased view point, that seeks to bring balance instead of derision, by showing the nature of reality by directly pointing to it... this is what gives Zen it's edge to cut through delusion and cause awakening.

The interesting thing is how many Taoists embrace duality, and use it as an excuse to wallow in self delusion the same way blaming a devil for one's personal actions of body, speech and mind that give Abrahamic religions an excuse to keep harming other sentient beings and feel justified to do so... removing any personal responsibility, only a vessel to be manipulated and filled by either good or evil and some repentance when one realizes a devil over took their being. It's an accepted mental illness. Someone that believes in god can run around saying the hear god and speak to god all day long... few bat an eye, someone saying they don't believe; saying they hear a voice and speak to it all day long, get called schizophrenic... difference? One has decided to call those voices god and angels, or devil and demon.

So we can see how duality infects and affects society, when based in ideologies or beliefs taken as truth that rose from an idea. Reality? Not in the slightest. The Yin and Yang itself shows balance or the middle way, it is also symbolizing movement or showing that it is balance in action... so what would happen if you were to spin the Yin and Yang symbol? The extremes of black and white disappear with balance and it becomes grey, and neither extreme or bias is found in the world of duality shown by the symbol, this is living the way and being like water when realized with full profundity akin to the Buddhist enlightenment.

It is entirely possible to exist without belief or a biased opinion, how hard or easy that is depends on an individual and how self deluded they are... from the delusions others passed to them and they chose to take and cling to as their own, and have grown adopted and expanded it, we all have done/do this out of greed, hate, or delusion and typically have a very high level of cognitively dissonant ignorance, even when faced to evidence contrary, because it is completely comfortable to rest there... until the reality of someone believing in another extreme pulls out the stick pin and "pop".

Nothing is safe from the world of duality from duality or extremes and bias, all religions, all societies, all politics, all science except; in this bubble of cognitive dissonance that people choose to live in... by simply pressing the easy button, on something they'd rather not contemplate: Themselves.

a reply to: TheJourney

When it comes to opinions, I have given up on trying to assert them in order to change somebody's mind. When I come into contact with somebody with conviction, the only real input I provide is mild agreement or anecdotal observations. Many opinions are complex and they are based on the way that one thinks that reality "should be" and also are based on assumptions that others are "wrong" about some core issue. If you can see reality from many perspectives, then it is hard to form a concrete opinion about anything.