The Shield of Beliefs: How Faith and Illusions Sustain Us
Each one of us faces moments when our personal convictions become a kind of shield in the face of life's storms. Our faith—whether it is deep religiosity or skepticism of the supernatural—penetrates to the very core of our being. We do not need a cold scientific experiment to question what underpins our view of the world. Even when considering a hypothetical test of the strength of our beliefs, most of us would hesitate to take on such a challenge, as it is deeply tied to our sense of essence and self-identity.Equally important is the human mind’s tendency to create imaginary worlds where we can feel unique and overcome our inner fears and doubts. This need to bolster our self-perception often leads to the formation of illusory images in which our significance and superiority appear indisputable, compensating for moments of insecurity and weakness.In the end, even if at times it seems that our beliefs are founded more on illusions than on objective facts, they serve as a powerful tool for survival and support. These pillars, despite being tested by challenges, help us overcome life’s difficulties by providing energy and confidence in our choices.
What beliefs do people often try to confirm for themselves, and why?People often strive to validate those beliefs that touch the deepest parts of their experience and self-definition. For example, one text emphasizes that religious faith—whether in God or in a particular concept of Christ—is so fundamental that an individual is unwilling to test it under extreme conditions:"Faith is proven in a different way. Let's take two people: one believes in God, and the other believes that there is no God; one believes that Christ is the Son of God, and the other believes that Christ is merely a historical figure. Now, let’s light a big bonfire and tell both: come and throw your faith into the fire. But no atheist, for the idea that there is no God, would ever willingly step into the fire, not one. And among believers, though not all, there will be those who do." (source: link txt, page: 9)Additionally, people tend to create their own world of illusions where they affirm their perceived superiority. This desire to counterbalance inner feelings of inadequacy is deeply ingrained in the human psyche:"This will to illusion finds its explanation in the egocentrism of the baser impulses of the soul. Every person tends to create a world of illusions in which he can assert, in his own or others’ eyes, his supposed superiority." (source: link txt, page: 1280)Thus, beliefs connected to religious faith, as well as those that allow an individual to maintain an illusion of significance and superiority, prove especially important. These convictions not only shape one’s worldview but also empower one to confront life’s challenges, compensating for internal shortcomings and doubts.