Belief becomes personal in layers. First, there is public belief: the shared body of claims most supported by evidence and reason. Then comes tribal belief: the pressures, loyalties, and assumptions of the groups around us. Finally, there is worldview: the deeper personal framework through which we interpret life itself. These three layers shape what we call personal belief. You do not have to abandon personal belief, but undertanding where it comes from, what is shaping it, and how well it stays tethered to reality will help make you more wise.

–Michael Alan Prestwood

6 Research Tidbits

Wisdom Builder Crossroads

The research, stories, and questions that inform this issue.

1 Story »

Pragmatism

3 Types: Empirical, Rational, & Irrational

New Look

Avoid irrational pragmatists; they dismiss good evidence when it gets in the way.

2 Quote »

“Our statements about the external world face the tribunal of sense experience not individually, but only as a corporate body.”

W. V. Quine
1951

Never defend a belief blindly; examine the larger web around it and decide what fits your authentic self.

3 Science »

Why do scientific models work if they aren’t literally true?

Scientific models succeed not because they are perfectly true, but because they reliably capture patterns in reality. Trust scientific models for what they do well, but do not mistake them for reality itself.

4Philosophy »

Is agnosticism a ludicrous position to occupy?

A wise worldview knows where it is certain, uncertain, and simply uninterested. Agnosticism is a way of managing belief under uncertainty. No one believes everything. An agnostic allows that ignorance. So slow down, don't hurry to take a position on everything.

5Critical Thinking »

Do my people and culture help or harm my critical thinking?

Your people and culture give you a big leg up, a great starting place, but it is not a final place to stand still.

6History!

Did Berger and Luckmann really say reality is just made up?

You inherit your culture, understand it, but you are not bound to it. You get to choose to live within it, or choose beyond it.

Take the deep dive.

Linked Article

Updated This Week

Philosophy

Draft Paper

TST Doxastic Formation: Public Belief, Tribe, and Worldview

Personal Belief

Live your life in a way that fully understands your own beliefs. Personal belief forms through public belief, tribal influence, and your own worldview. We do not begin as blank choosers, nor are we merely passive products of society. We are born into a family language, religion, and philosophy.

That’s the whole rhythm!

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WWB Research Emailed.

TST Column posted on Substack: