h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Why are beliefs held so dearly? - A853977
Author: a girl called Ben - Whatever you want, Whatever you like, Whatever you say, You pay your money, You take your choice - U148580

Unusually for me this entry simply explains something, it does not try to argue a point. I must be softening up in my old age!

Anyways, comments, questions, s or s welcome.

B

What's NLP?

What's the difference on this analysis between killing for your beliefs and dying for your beliefs?

I do think that the "integrity of self" is central in one form or another, though.

Noggin

NLP - Neuro Linguistic Programming - vile name. It originated as a synthesis of various schools of therapeutic methods, but has now spread into sports coaching, management training, and all sorts of other areas where what holds a person back is the limitations and quirks of their own mind. It includes new methodologies as well as more established ones. It was developed by Bandler and Grinder in the 1970s. These days there are a large number of NLPers around. Some are good, a lot aren't. There is a lot of misinformation and bulls**t rattling around on the subject.

> What's the difference on this analysis between killing for your beliefs and dying for your beliefs?

None that I can think of - I was merely pointing out that beliefs can motivate startlingly extreme behaviours.

B

Because you start off with 2 questions - Why do people die for their beliefs? Why will they kill for them? - I thought you were going to examine that and suggest the answers, but I don't see any. At the end of the entry I found myself asking, OK, so why *do* people die or kill for their beliefs then? If you don't want to give any answers, fair enough, just don't ask the questions.

"Our beliefs and values are core to who we are."
"These reach to us so deeply because they operate on the level of Self."
"your faith is the core of who you are"
- OK, this is somebody's theory, that you seem to agree with. But what is the difference between beliefs and values? - you always seem to lump them together, as in "Some beliefs and values are more important to an individual than others."

Since this article seems to be based on a theory that there is something called a core to something called 'who we are', I think we need to know more about that. I mean, who do you reckon we are? Are we our beliefs? Are we somebody else's beliefs? What is the connection between what we believe and 'the core of who we are'? A couple of times you said 'who we are', but how about also 'what we are'? - etc etc

Good points, didi, all of them. I will either remove the two questions, or rephrase the introduction so that it makes it clear that I won't be addressing them.



"But what is the difference between beliefs and values?" - blimey - there has got to be a whole book in that one! And you are right, it is a question I side-step; mainly because I do not want to tamper with Dilts' analysis, and I have not thought deeply about the answer.

Off the top of my head - and reserving the right to change my mind at no notice - I would say that beliefs have content ("I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth" etc) while values are qualatitive judgements about the merits and demerits of abstract qualities ("Honesty is the best policy", "Might is right", "Financial integrity is more important when preparing accounts than the market value of the company"). I guess that a value could also be the content of a belief, so that beliefs are marginally more central than values. But hey - what do I know?



"I mean, who do you reckon we are? Are we our beliefs? Are we somebody else's beliefs?"

Another book - in fact another blumming library. "And
all you touch and all you see Is all your life will ever be" doesn't really address it does it?

In my view - and in Dilts' model - we are something other than our beliefs. This is observable, otherwise there would be no converts and no apostates.



"What is the connection between what we believe and 'the core of who we are'?"

Arrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhh!

Can I just run for the hills now, please?

I really don't have an answer to that one.

In some respects we are like a nutmeg. Nutmegs consist (from the centre out to the outside) of an inner nut (the nutmeg), a hard shell, a layer of membrane (which is the spice Mace) and an outer fleshy fruit like an apricot. What IS the nutmeg, then? I would suggest that in one respect, Dilts' model describes what we are, with the outer layers being less important and with the inner core being more important. A circular definition, and I am sorry for it. But what I am saying is that as you go further towards the centre of Dilts' model, you get further towards the centre (whatever that may be) of who we are (whatever that may be).

All of which uses a lot of words to say 'I have no answer to the question you asked.



Thanks for your comments. I will rewrite the entry slightly, and it will be the stronger for it.

All the best

B

*sounds of cogs turning*

Oh why do I do this sort of thing to myself? This entry is NOT finished and polished yet, but I am imposing a Jan 31st deadline for the entries for the project. Arrgh.

So - if you have any comments or questions on this entry please let me know and I will get polishing.

And if you are contemplating writng another entry for the project itself, you know what to do and when to do it by! Let's get this one up, running and on the front page!

Ben

But it's nowhere near ready!

I've already hinted at why.

There's a heck of a lot of work to do on this whole thing.

Totally agreed, didi. The subject line is 'Ready or Not!" and if this isn't ready by Jan 31st then it won't go in. There are some very good entries from other researchers, and I am not sure the project needs this one anyway.

Thanks for your input. I will bear it in mind when I revise the entry. And if the spirit moves you to contribute to the project yourself, then please do so. There is a lot more information on the project page: A853751

All the best

B

Is this going anywhere? It's been in WW for an awfully long time...

Yes it did, as a few clicks around to check the Author's list of Edited Entries would have told you. It ended up as part of the last University Project of all.

B

Can you take it out of the Writing Workshop then, please?

Yep. I'm using that a/c tomorrow for some gem-polishing and I'll clear all of my ones out then, and depending on how tidy I am feeling, I'll delete them which is what I tend to do with the drafts of stuff which have made it to edited status.

I hadn't realised I'd left them in here to be honest. My bad.

Ben

This wants moving back to entry - it is part of a completed project and I think it was left here by accident. Seconders?

I am the author, and I second the motion.

B

No need for you to second the proposal Ben - you have the means to remove this entry from the WW yourself, what with you bein' the author an' all.

Good point. I can be a thick idiot at times. I'll log on with that a/c tomorrow and do something about it.

B