Do You See What You Believe

"Do you see what you believe or do you believe what you see?"

Sidney Baker, MD

This is a quote that should make you really think. Most people see what they believe most of the time, It's true in medicine and it's true in politics and it's true in life. It's hard and takes work to challenge yourself to break free from your filter of beliefs and see what is there. How often do we acknowledge we have assumptions and beliefs about most things. How often do we take the time to consider all the alternative ideas and beliefs on a subject and what experiences leads people to hold them.

An example is vaccinations. Either you're for them or against them but have you really tried to understand the other side, Could if be possible that both sides have some valuable ideas and maybe the truth is in the middle or maybe 75% of one side and 25% of the other? Or maybe your view or side is mainly right but you can appreciate the humanity and good intentions of most of the people on the other side if not all.

Try looking at things from different perspectives, from a distance, from the future or from the past point of view. Question authority and assumptions even or maybe especially yours.

And try to remember the humanity of people with different life experiences and points of view. And consider the slim possibility that maybe you're not right about everything all the time. I know it's hard to go there when you believe you are never wrong but what if you are and were. Hmmmmm