Self-Deception or Truth-Seeking? Questioning Beliefs in a World of Influence

I recently replied to a blog post about “Self-Deception”.

It reminded me how I occasionally reflect on “Am I deceiving myself?” for some on my boldness to “be different.”

A follow up question I reflect on: “Is my perspective on what is TRUTH similar to CHRIST’s teaching about TRUTH?” (often being in the minority, perhaps even a very small minority).

Or do I fall into the category of being a lunatic or at least seriously self-deceived.

And should I be seriously self-deceived, how would I know?

Is self-deception aligned with “out of the box” thinking? I believe I often think like a little child. Nothing to conform to. Eager to learn and explore.

Part of my job as a business coach is to help others see possibilities and options which are not obvious to them. Then give them confidence to pursue the option(s) making the most sense in their situation.

There are times I want to open the door for an open discussion with someone who I know is totally convinced in their beliefs, as I am in my beliefs. This appeared to be the case in our political leadership, as on display with Trump’s recent address to Congress. Democrats sitting stoically while Republicans frequently applauding.

American Patriots, who from my perspective sit on the Republican side, are mostly open to discussion, eager to look at real information during their exchange. The left and elite, again from my perspective, sit on the Democratic side, relying on repetitive emotional statements, and seldom want to consider reality (facts) when sharing their perspective on any topic.

Is it reasonable to conclude, when there is a strong difference in persuasion on a topic, one party is suffering from significant self-delusion?

And if so, how does one begin to open a conversation with someone of strong difference of perspective to have an exchange of information to support your persuasion and help them to see reality, or Truth as I think of it.

I strongly believe I am an earnest TRUTH seeker, though my confidence in knowing for certain what is Truth has continued to be diminished in the past four years.

I believe an increasing number of people are questioning what is TRUTH in our world today.

Below is my comment to the blog I read, which presented several statements as Truths, which I strongly disagree with. Instead of directly addressing their statements, I chose to try to open a dialogue on why we believe what we believe? Which I am persuaded is the necessary conversation before addressing strong differences of perspective on any topic.

I am very interested in your thoughts as you read my comment. Leave a comment for my and others’ consideration, or private message me.

Am I living in self-deception? Do you agree with my approach or do you have thoughts to share on this topic?

Here is my reply:

This indeed is an interesting topic. Who gets to decide if a person is living in “Self-deception”? A similar topic is “What is Truth?” As I have learned about mind control and how the CCP take over a country and “control” the population they seek to govern, it has been interesting to note how masses of people (even myself at times in my past) believe things they (I) no longer believe to be true.

I find it interesting how many people and organizations who hold beliefs, currently held by a minority of people, encourage those who do not hold the same beliefs, to do their own investigation to discover truth.

I have come to believe those who control what is taught in education, those who control what is presented in the news, actually control what the masses believe to be true. Thus, I have become very skeptical of many beliefs held by the masses to be true.

So, for those of us most concerned about living in self-awareness and truth, I challenge you to frequently ask the questions: “What is truth” and “Why do I believe what I believe?”

These are two questions I ask myself more and more. Especially as I from time to time come across a documentary like the “Lunatic Farmer.” This documentary has me asking myself once again: “What am I to do with this information?”

How about you? Are you still seeking Truth?