the things you BELIEVE and the things you KNOW. Webster’s defines these
terms as such: BELIEVE = “To accept something as true, genuine, or real.”
KNOW = “To be aware of the truth or factuality of : be convinced or
certain of.” Is it better to BELIEVE or to KNOW? Conventional wisdom
would tell you that KNOWING is better than BELIEVING because it is something you
are sure is so. Take a book for example. Before it is published you
may BELIEVE that it will have broad appeal. Belief is good but it is much
better when the book is published and sells well. Then you KNOW that it
has broad appeal. Often times like the one just shown you must have BELIEF
in order to KNOW. In another example, you may BELIEVE you are going to get
a promotion at work. There is much less stress, however, after you KNOW
that the job is yours. KNOWING sounds like the thing to have and that is
often true when the result is positive. When you KNOW something good is
about to happen or has happened it can bring joy and happiness. Prior to
their transpiring, you are left with BELIEF which always leaves room for
doubt. So KNOWING is better…End of blog. Now stop for a minute and
consider a different point of view. It is said that “Ignorance is
bliss.” How is that relevant, you may ask? What if the KNOWING is
not a positive? Perhaps you BELIEVE you are sick and then you KNOW you
have terminal cancer? Were you not happier before you KNEW the
facts? What if that book comes out and is not well received? Weren’t
you happier when you BELIEVED it would be well liked? Say you don’t get
the promotion. Weren’t you more jubilant when you BELIEVED you would get
it than once you KNOW you didn’t? There are many positives in this world
and many negatives. BELIEVING and KNOWING trade places frequently in our
delicate balance of happy and sad. You may BELIEVE you will live to be 90
but what if you KNEW you only had two weeks to live? Your perspective
would be different. KNOWING is a great thing but it takes all the
uncertainty and mystery out of a situation. There are things you need to
know. Most of them are common sense things. KNOWING is often seen as
good because of the lack of surprises. If we only went through life
concentrating on things we KNOW, then change would be very rare. People
inherently want to BELIEVE something. Often they want to BELIEVE something
good like their favorite sports team will win their next game. KNOWING is
good but it doesn’t see you through the tough times because the outcomes are not
always positive. BELIEVING gives us what we need for those times.
What is it that BELIEF gives us? Hope. BELIEF is the product of
hope. In order to carry on through adversity, you need to BELIEVE that it
will get better. That BELIEF comes from a deep hope for better times ahead
with perhaps a touch of KNOWING thrown in for credibility. What is KNOWN
is yesterday’s news. What is BELIEVED makes tomorrow’s headlines. In
the end, the more you BELIEVE, the more you will KNOW.