Contradictory Beliefs
I hold contradictory beliefs. Or at least, I feel that I do. I am a contradicting person because I do not fit into any one mold.
And that is fine by me, I understand that I contradict myself, but that doesn't mean I pick a side. It means I have enough awareness to pick neither.
I think this is the case for most people. Our contradictory beliefs show that we are not fully taken over by one thought process or the other. Now, whether we show those contradictions to others is another story. Most of us keep quiet to save face.
Really, we tend to opine and weigh our beliefs on what we deem important to us personally. But it's not about whether those contradictory beliefs are wrong or right, its about how they float and coexist with each other in your psyche.
For example to list a random unrelated one: Imposter Syndrome: You have evidence of your intelligence and success (degrees, promotions), yet you hold the core belief that you are actually incompetent and faking it.
In psychology, this is labeled as cognitive dissonance.
That is not the term that I would personally use. I would use the term rationalization. In the case of imposter syndrome, you would perhaps apply psychology once again and mention low self esteem. But there is something more at play here.
Contradictory beliefs are usually of our own making because we have deemed ourselves unworthy of the truth.
Or, the truth is multi faceted. That does not mean reality is subjective, or that one person holds different truths from another. But that the truth is not as simple as yes or no.
Perhaps in the case of imposter syndrome we lack the confidence needed to see our own merit.
Perhaps we were raised in a household that, growing up, attacked us rather than built us up which lead to our eventual internal demise and battle.
But let's go the political route, as much as I loathe politics, I want to highlight another interesting example.
An immigrant who has assimilated and rejects illegal immigration. Does that immigrant hold contradictory beliefs? Is their understanding of the world fractured because they won't pick one side or the other?
Or is nuance required for both imposter syndrome and for the immigrants who are both deemed to lack in self awareness?
But this is what contradictory beliefs are. They are an acceptance of two different beliefs or thoughts that do not fit into just one mold.
A person who holds contradictory beliefs are usually summarized as a person lacking in self awareness.
Perhaps the one with imposter syndrome really is unworthy of the degree they have earned, perhaps the guilt is from cheating on their studies, or not fully understanding important concepts.
They are not applying themselves fully, therefore merit really is lacking. True cases of imposter syndrome are probably very rare.
And perhaps the immigrant is against illegal immigration because the illegal ones did not go through that same process of assimilation like that particular immigrant did many years ago. And that reminder of a vastly different culture is abrasive to those who fled their homes legally many years ago.
Now is that really contradictory?
Or is it a rejection of some sort?
My point being, are contradictory beliefs truly cognitive dissonance? Or are they a rejection of the self in some intrinsic way?
Or are they simply nuanced thought processes that both hold equal value to the person that believes in both?
Are nuanced contradictory beliefs truly an issue, if each person is by design multifaceted and complex?
Nietzsche says:
"One is fruitful only at the cost of being rich in contradictions."
and perhaps that is true.
We are all walking contradictions.
But you need to be, because not everything makes sense or fits into any one mold. And this brings shame to some but brevity to others.
The rich man that upholds taking care of the poor avoids the poor at all costs. Isn't that contradictory?
Or the poor that belittles the rich, yet acts like they are rich by spending all of their money on brand new gadgets and cars, effectively keeping them poor. What does that tell you about that person?
So are contradictory beliefs hypocritical then, too?
Or are we all hypocrites, when we espouse our claims of virtue and morals while simultaneously avoiding the uncomfortable reality of the things that we allegedly support and or defend?
Or are those that hold both beliefs that are contradictory, are they really hypocrites and lacking in self awareness?
Or are they a step above everyone else, and simply admitting that they are walking contradictions themselves, as we all are?