Dogma

Steve Jobs gave a commencement address in which he said, “Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking”. That’s one of the most important statements I’ve heard in my life. I do my best to remember that any information I receive outside of my own personal experience is dogma, “the results of other people’s thinking.

I rely on dogma. I would need to live as a hermit not to. Of course some info is more important to my life than other information. That which affects my life philosophy, goes through very serious scrutiny.

I vet the source as much or more than I do the information. From where did this information come? How old is it? Is it someone’s opinion? What is their expertise, experience, and emotional state? The motivation in providing it is a huge factor. Also what commonalities does it have with information from other sources I respect, including my own experience?

The title of my Blog is This Helped Me. I like to gather information about the human condition. However, I only write about things I have tried in my own life. I have a purpose statement on the front page of the blog. It says, “I make no claims regarding these sources, except that the information I found helped me.” 

I’ll continue to stay open to new information. I owe my way of life to it. That also means sifting through dogma. The conversion process from  changing knowledge into beliefs I guard closely. The more the information can impact my life, the finer the screening process. I also reserve the right to change my beliefs. In my post, The Beautiful Game, I said I don’t need any add ons to be enough. That includes beliefs. Nothing more complicated than perception.

May you have enough today, one moment at a time.