Have you ever wondered why some people always seem to have luck, while others constantly experience setbacks? I’ve always found it to be a fascinating question. To me, the power of beliefs is the answer! In his Personal Power II program, I first heard Tony Robbins speak about ‘values and beliefs’. Later, I learned how our beliefs shape the way we perceive and interpret the world, and how we create our reality through vicious cycles and self-fulfilling prophecies. Today, I’m still amazed by the effect of beliefs, not only in my life but also in the lives of others.
In this blog post, let’s explore together how our beliefs work, how they influence our mental model of reality, and the importance of consciously choosing and changing our beliefs to transform the reality we live in. Ready for the journey of discovery? Let’s begin!
The foundation of perception: the influence of beliefs on our worldview
Our beliefs are like the foundation of a house: they determine the structure and stability of everything built on top of them. Every belief we have – whether it’s about our self-worth, the nature of success, or how others see us – affects the way we perceive and interpret the world around us. In other words, our beliefs color our perception as if we’re wearing tinted glasses. They influence how we experience situations and events.
When we’re aware of the powerful influence that beliefs have on our perception, it becomes important to examine what beliefs we have. Are they based on facts or assumptions? Do they help us grow and thrive or hold us back? By asking these questions, we can adjust our mental foundation and create the reality we want for ourselves.
The Limits of Perception: mental models and the Simplification of Reality
Our senses are constantly bombarded with stimuli from our surroundings. This makes it impossible for our brains to process all of this information simultaneously. Instead, we filter the information that is most relevant and important to us. Our beliefs, experiences, and attention all have an impact on this selective process.
We create mental models of reality in order to process the enormous amount of information we receive. These models function similarly to maps that we use to comprehend and navigate the complex ‘territory’ of the world. It is critical to understand that our mental models, like maps, are always a simplified representation of reality and may contain errors.
A map, for example, can depict a city’s streets, buildings, and parks, but it can never capture all of the city’s details and nuances, such as the sound of birds, the smell of freshly baked bread, or the smile of a passerby. Similarly, our mental models are only approximations of reality, and they are influenced by our beliefs.
Are you convinced that our mental models determine our view of the world? Yes? Great! By realizing this, we can adjust our perception and be open to new insights. We can adapt to changes, discover opportunities, and lead a richer life.
How ideas become beliefs: the origin and Impact on our worldview
Our beliefs arise from a complex interplay of ideas, experiences, and emotions. Sometimes, they are the result of a single, significant event. In other cases, they are gradually formed by repeated exposure to certain information or situations. Because beliefs have such a powerful effect on our perception of the world, it’s important to understand how they originate and evolve.
Take, for example, the belief that hard work leads to success. This belief can arise from hearing stories of successful people who achieve their goals through determination and dedication. It can also be reinforced by our own experiences, such as achieving good results in school or at work after investing time and effort.
Once an idea has formed into a belief, it has a significant impact on our perception of the world. It acts as a filter through which we interpret information and experiences. In the case of the belief that hard work leads to success, we are likely to notice situations where this belief is confirmed and unconsciously inclined to ignore or minimize counterexamples. This is called confirmation bias.
The impact of a belief on our perception can be both positive and negative, depending on the nature of the belief and the context in which it is applied. A positive belief, such as the belief in the power of perseverance, can motivate us to take on challenges and pursue our goals. A negative belief, such as the idea that we are not good enough, can undermine our self-confidence and hold us back from reaching our potential.
The forces behind belief formation: self-fulfilling prophecies and confirmation bias
Self-fulfilling prophecies are situations where our beliefs and expectations influence the outcome of an event. For example, if we believe that we will fail at a certain task, we are more likely to put in less effort to prepare, increasing the likelihood of failure. Our belief thus influences our behavior and the outcome.
Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek and interpret information in a way that supports our existing beliefs. This can cause us to unconsciously ignore important or contradictory information. For example, if we believe that all politicians are dishonest, we are likely to remember news articles and anecdotes that support this belief while overlooking examples of honest and upright politicians.
These two phenomena are very important drivers in the formation of a belief. What can start as an idea can be strengthened by self-fulfilling prophecies, which can in turn lead to the search for confirming information. We may even resist information that contradicts “our idea.” This creates a vicious circle that makes the belief even stronger.
Understanding this allows us to actively and consciously choose our ideas and use these three driving forces to develop beliefs that help us move forward in life.
The Power of Change: choosing and adapting our beliefs
If we can choose our beliefs, what does that mean? When we realize this, we free ourselves from the limitations that come from negative or limiting beliefs. We can embrace new, supportive beliefs that help us achieve our goals and lead a happier, more successful life.
An effective way to consciously choose new beliefs and change our perception is Rao Srikumar‘s alternative reality exercise. You can use the template provided at the bottom of this post for this exercise.
The exercise goes as follows:
- Be aware of your current thinking. Write down on a piece of paper a belief that is limiting you. For example: “I am not good enough to write a blog. Who am I? Not a psychologist, not an expert.” This is your current reality.
- Describe a better situation, an alternative reality, on the template. What would you think? For example: “I have learned a lot of useful information over the years. I can share that with others. Maybe it can help them. If I can help someone, then I am satisfied. Besides, it stimulates me to keep learning.”
Throw away the first piece of paper. - Live as if the reality you described in step 2 is completely true. Expect what you wrote down. You will notice the following:
- You may notice that there is evidence for your old belief. What you described in step 2 is not true. Ignore this evidence.
- You will certainly notice that there is evidence for your new way of thinking. Great! Keep this evidence thoroughly, and write it down. Document what you can. Don’t be lazy. Don’t think you will remember everything. Write it down! This will make all the difference.
Over time, you will have a lot of evidence that the alternative reality is true. In your handwriting! The evidence for your old reality – that you didn’t write down – will fade away. Actively seek more and more evidence for your new reality. This will grow your belief and change your perspective, which will change things…
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
Wayne Dyer
By actively choosing and changing our beliefs, we take control of our lives. We shape it positively. We can turn vicious circles, self-fulfilling prophecies, and confirmation bias into forces that help us. Instead of limiting our view of the world, they will create a reality that allows us to grow, flourish, and reach our full potential.
Summary and action points: the key to creating your own reality.
In this blog post, we explored how our beliefs shape our perception of the world and how we create our reality. We learned about the importance of self-examination to identify and understand our beliefs, as well as the importance of mental models and simplifying reality. We also discussed some psychological pitfalls, such as confirmation bias, self-fulfilling prophecies, and vicious cycles, that can influence our perception.
To effectively choose and change our beliefs, it is essential to cultivate self-reflection and awareness. Here are some action points to get you started:
- Take time for self-examination to identify your beliefs and their origins.
- Be aware of the psychological pitfalls that can influence your perception and try to avoid them.
- Consciously choose new supportive beliefs that help you achieve your goals and improve your life. Actively collect evidence, and choose your confirmation bias, with the alternative reality exercise from Rao Srikumar.
- Stay open to new information and perspectives to enrich your mental models and improve your understanding of the world.
By following these steps, you can harness the power of your beliefs to create a more positive, fulfilling reality for yourself while showing more understanding and empathy for others.
Rao Srikumar
In the YouTube video below, Rao Srikumar explains what a mental model is and how you can adjust it. I do not benefit from the reference to this video clip. However, I can say that I follow quests from Mindvalley and find them very valuable. I let the clip start at minute 29. If you want to watch the full video, go ahead 😉
