In the Mind of a Fish

We all believe things that we have neither seen, heard, or touched and our level to the commitment of those things is determined by a at least a couple of possible factors. Remember that this is what is in my mind, so I could just be skipping over things that my mind decided was not important. Sometimes, it does that all on its own without even asking my permission and, sometimes, I get to be very involved in the discussion and decision. I am not sure which is best.

One factor in determining our level of commitment to a belief we have is the perceived effect this belief has on our lives. Most people probably wouldn't die for the cause of thinking fish just because the result of that belief has no benefit to anyone who believes it. I imagine that it has some benefit to people who want everyone to believe that animals are just like humans. So, those people will defend the notion of thinking fish if they have related the two concepts and feel like the human-like animal idea is important enough that it warrants defending the thinking-fish belief.

My belief in Santa Clause comes by very authoritative sources indicating that he exists and, does indeed fly through the whole earth in one long night distributing rewards and punishments. To consider no longer believing in this fellow, I consider whether the belief has benefited me in some way or will in the future. I may determine that belief in this guy would bring me pain and misery in the future. I may realize that it wasn't he who gave me the gifts I received every Christmas Eve. Instead, it was someone else who took it upon themselves to attempt to bring some joy into my life while we celebrated this special day each year.

The authorities I speak of are my teachers, parents, grandparents and - even more important than these - my older friends and relatives who would be considered my peers. Trust in these people helped me have trust that SC will come every year and bring me gifts if I behaved myself in a worthy manner. Later, I realized that it was even the governments of the world and the churches who helped solidify this belief in my mind. I never saw him. I didn't talk to him or touch him, but I believed in his existence and his mission.