Creative Guidance-IASbaba, Inspirational & Educative Articles
Logic & Belief:
There certainly is no contest between knowledge that is based on logic and knowledge that is based on some belief. We have almost fully accepted the importance of knowing and believing in things that can be backed by scientific and logical evidence. But, can everything be logically proven? Is there no place for belief in our lives? Or are we simply delusional in thinking that logic has replaced our beliefs fully?
Firstly, we have to understand that logic and belief are not mutually exclusive entities. They are mutually inclusive; it is impossible for logic to exist without some form of underlying belief. Even belief in logic is a form of belief. In fact, it is our ability to believe that makes any form of logic and science possible.
Of course, there is an ocean of difference between blind belief that goes contrary to all logic, and belief that supports and sustains our way of life. Believing just for the sake of believing is always a serious problem, but is it really possible to live without beliefs?
Just imagine living one day of your life by throwing away all your beliefs. Do you think you will be able to live even a single day without relying on any of your beliefs to make important life decisions? Even if you are able to get through such a day, what would such a day be like? How different would such a day be to your normal day? I am sure you are able to see the point – It is impossible to live without beliefs.
It almost seems like; precisely because beliefs are so important to us and logical thinking is just an extension of our belief system, we tend to value logic more than belief – It’s like valuing the cherry on top of the cake and forgetting that the cherry wouldn’t be there in the first place if not for the cake.
If belief is a cell phone then logic is an app that we use to make life easier; the app can never replace the cell phone! While science is modern, relevant and evolving, belief is ancient, deep and basic; both have their important places in life. The debate of logic vs belief is no longer relevant. We are rapidly moving towards a world in which it is becoming more and more difficult to believe. This is the reason for a lot of our mental stress and strife.
The single biggest reason for our daily frustration is that we are no longer able to simply believe or not believe in certain things – we need a logical and empirical proof for everything. Since life at its core is a set of beliefs we hold dearly to us, we are becoming disoriented in an all too logical world that is making it difficult for us to hold on to our beliefs.
The solution to this problem is quite simple. The solution lies in embracing both logic and belief as essential ingredients of life. In today’s predominantly logical and scientific world, if we have to maintain our sanity, we have to pick and choose our beliefs wisely and hold on to those beliefs that help us and discard those that don’t.
“This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Inner-Revolution and IASBABA.”
