Or, why we should rethink our beliefs
Happy Sunday. I’ve spent the past few days thinking about how we all start out as blank slates but gradually absorb ideas, opinions, and beliefs of those around us. We live our lives believing these ideas to be sacrosanct, we consider them core, unchangeable beliefs, and go on to make them the foundations on which our core ideology is built.
The thing is, some of these ideas and beliefs aren’t as sacrosanct as we think they are. They may even be flawed, so it behoves us to rethink these opinions, assumptions and beliefs. For each core assumption our identity is built on, it behoves us to ask: (1) Where does this come from? (2) Why do I hold it dear?
This is easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. Which begs the question, how do we do it?
Well, that’s what I’ve been thinking about all week, and the solution, I’ve realised, is slow, mindful living. We now live in a world where it’s all too easy to vomit your thoughts onto a screen and share it with everyone worldwide using one of the several platforms at our disposal. But do we really need to share every thought that pops into our heads?
In a world where it’s easy to say anything you can online, you can pause, take a breath, think about what you want to say, or whether there’s anything worth saying at all. When something happens on the world stage, like say, an assasination, there’s no need to rush to the keyboard to spew a hot take. It’s fine to think deeply about the situation, to read about it slowly and thoroughly, process it how best you can, and if you must write about it, if you must express an opinion, do so with much needed nuance.
We can extend this “slow” philosophy to the world of work as well. The internet is flooded with productivity gurus who never cease to share tips on how to get more out of the day, how to be more successful, how to work more, how to get more out of the day. But do we really need to maximise every waking moment for productivity?
In a world that wants us to go go go, where the norm is to move fast and break things, one of the most defiant things we can do is go slow, practice slow living, slow working, and as Cal Newport puts it, slow productivity. And in a world where there’s an endless river of opinions, ideas and beliefs spouted left, right and centre with the utmost certainty, it behoves us to regularly reassess our belief systems and question that which we hold to be true. Because as Mark Twain may have said, “It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.”
My new album, Hope on the Horizon, is out everywhere now. Not a fan of streaming and want to support my music? You can download a digital version or buy a CD now here. Thank you for listening, spreading the word, and reaching out to share your thoughts. I appreciate it. Have a great week.