Beliefs full of holes

There are many things I used to believe- and speak passionately in defense of- that I no longer believe.

In arguing the issues with others, they pointed out the holes in my beliefs, and I (eventually, reluctantly, painfully) saw they were right. It was unpleasant. But, I'd rather change my beliefs than hold on to something I now saw couldn't quite be the way I believed it was.

The funny thing is, they weren't always happy with where seeing the holes led me. They had pointed out the holes, assuming I would come to agree with their position, when the trouble was I already saw the holes in their beliefs, so I couldn't go there. And sometimes, what looks like a hole to someone else, is only the hole they are looking through.

The more of those holes I saw, and the more of my beliefs that had to be modified because of seeing them and fixing the problem, the more I moved toward anarchism. There were other changes, too, but that's beyond the scope of this blog.

I'm sure, looking at history, I still have holes in my beliefs left to discover. And I hope I'll be as willing to see them, when they are pointed out, as I have been in the past.

So, yes, keep speaking up. Keep trying to show people the holes in their beliefs. But if you have holes in your own beliefs- whether you are aware of them or not- don't be surprised if people don't come to agree with you, but choose a third path. Or dismiss the holes you imagine you are seeing while looking through your own.

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