Humans are a complex collection of individuals with different beliefs and ideologies.
We all believe different things.
At 5, some of us may believe in Santa Clause.
Others, maybe it’s baby Ježíšek.
Some of us believe in Allah.
In the past, others had Artemis and Ukko and Odin.
Some celebrate Hannukah.
Some have Easter.
There are celebrants of Fettucine Day, if one is a Pastafarian.
And yet others abstain from Halloween.
There are people who refuse to use the first stall in public restrooms for fear of bad luck.
Black cats crossing your path may bring good fortune.
A few of us believe that being born under a specific star sign — Capricorn, myself, or maybe you’re an Aries? — determines our traits.
Again…
We are complex in our wide-spanning web of beliefs and ideas!
But it makes us beautiful and interesting.
Here’s the thing:
As long as someone else’s belief isn’t causing you actual threat or harm or taking anything from you…
Let them have it.
Don’t try to dissuade them.
Don’t attempt to “prove it’s fake.”
Don’t correct them to say or act in a certain way to fit your beliefs.
Humans are all of us always struggling with our very existence.
Many of these beliefs bring us Meaning.
To correct, dissuade, or to argue the legitimacy of a belief is to try to rob meaning from their tiny life.
So, again — unless their belief is a threat, harm, or takes from you, just let them have it.
They have their life.
You have your life.
Guess which of the two of you you can exercise any modicum of control over?
That’s right — only yourself.
You cannot change them, their words, their actions or the world, itself.
You can only change you and your perception of said world.
So let them be with their own little slice of meaning…
Even if it’s a belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster!
Follow for daily philosophical meditations.
These are distillations from my coming book “YouDaimonia: the Ancient Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”
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