Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Why Do We Believe What We Believe?

II. Heredity
No matter how you slice it, your genetic makeup plays a significant determining role in how you view the world. Your given personality, even your body type, contribute to how you see things, to what beliefs you will latch onto. For instance, if someone is muscular and athletic with an inborn competitive drive and an extroverted personality, it is unlikely that this person will become a Buddhist monk (i.e. contemplative). Personally, I have a naturally thin frame (almost frail), with little propensity for athletics. I am introverted and analytical, prone to spend a lot of time alone inside my head. It is not surprising-just looking at me would be an indication-that I have an "intellectual" view of the world and that I appreciate contemplative writings (i.e. that I am drawn to perspectives that highlight the inner life of man).

The way our brain works, how we put thoughts together, derives from our particular brain chemistry. The material we are born with is the clay that is shaped by our unique experiences to make us who we are-specifically, how we believe.

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