Personal beliefs are like a quietly burning flame within us, fueling our sense of identity and guiding our path in life. They are unique to each individual, crafted from the crucible of personal experiences and refined through self-reflection. Unlike beliefs handed down to us through culture or religion, personal beliefs, as I define them, are self-forged and don’t require external validation. They live within us, often not articulated out loud, and remain safe from the influence of outside noise that pressures us to conform to societal norms.

What Are Personal Beliefs?

When I talk about personal beliefs, I don’t refer to ideas you were taught as a child. These aren’t religious doctrines or cultural norms that were drilled into you before you even knew how to think for yourself. The personal beliefs I am speaking of are more akin to a worldview—a perspective unique to you, embedded in your character. They are crafted through your own experiences and thoughts, not something adopted to fit in or find validation.

For example, when you form your own belief system based on years of living, trial and error, and observing how the world really works, you are developing a kind of emotional maturity or becoming a fully functional person. Psychologist Carl Rogers defined a fully functioning person as someone who is in touch with their feelings and desires, and who lives in a way that is true to themselves. This process of becoming a fully functional person requires no external approval, be it scientific evidence or the opinions of others. Such a person with true personal beliefs doesn’t feel the need to convince anyone else or engage in the endless back-and-forth of proving their worldview to others.

Take Arthur Eddington, for instance. A brilliant physicist, Eddington tried to reconcile his spiritual belief in the existence of God with science. I often think it would have been better for him to keep that belief private, rather than attempting to find scientific proof for something inherently personal. The result of trying to combine these two worlds brought more frustration than peace. The lesson here is simple: some beliefs are best kept within ourselves, where they serve us without the need for justification.

Optimizing Personal Beliefs with Open-Mindedness

Now, let’s discuss how to form and optimize these personal beliefs. Broadly, I see two types of believers:

Confirmation Bias Believers – These individuals look for evidence that supports their preconceived ideas. Religious fanatics, extreme political ideologists, and members of cults often fall into this category. They are driven by ego and a deep need for their beliefs to be seen as the objective truth. They will selectively quote science or other popular methods to validate their position, trying to prove that their beliefs are the only ones that should stand. A radical communist, for example, may believe that the equal distribution of wealth can eliminate poverty, not realizing that human nature is far more complex than this simplistic view. Such believers lack the flexibility to see beyond their rigid framework, and in doing so, their personal beliefs become tools of division rather than personal growth.

Growth-Centered Believers – These individuals are open to refining and adjusting their worldview based on experience. They are constantly reality-checking their beliefs against the world and evolving their perspectives. These are the people we often see as wise, emotionally mature, and calm under pressure. They’re not afraid to admit when their personal beliefs need adjustment, which makes them adaptable and constantly growing. For those who practice art, this process is intuitive. An artist continually refines their skill through trial and error, adjusting their technique as they go. Similarly, personal beliefs need this kind of creative flexibility. A literal-minded person, who cannot understand nuance and insists on rigidly interpreting everything, will often live a more depressive, limited life. These people contribute little to society because they haven’t learned to grow or evolve with the world around them.

Examples of Growth-Centered Personal Beliefs

Believing the Universe Works for You – Paulo Coelho, in The Alchemist, famously said something along the lines of “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” People who take this statement literally miss the point. It’s not about the universe having a personal interest in your success; it’s about the sense of wonder and inspiration that this metaphor evokes. It’s meant to carry you through tough times, offering hope when things seem bleak. If you try to rationally prove or disprove this statement, you miss the beauty of its meaning. Personal beliefs, like this one, can function as emotional tools rather than objective truths, providing comfort and guidance without needing validation.

Einstein’s Perspective on Time and Death – When Albert Einstein’s friend Michele Besso passed away, Einstein wrote a letter to Besso’s family, stating: “Michele has left this strange world a little before me. This means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” If Einstein said this today, it might spark endless debate and misinterpretation. However, a person who is emotionally mature can understand the intention behind his words. Einstein wasn’t making a grand philosophical statement for others to analyze or pick apart. He was expressing a deeply personal belief about the nature of time, something that comforted him in the face of loss. Again, it was a personal belief that served him, not one that needed to be proven or imposed on others.

The Artist’s Perspective – Many great scientists like Einstein and Feynman were also artists. This duality in their character allowed them to maintain a sense of wonder, not only in their scientific work but in life itself. When you embrace an art form—whether it’s music, painting, writing, or even making a tea—you develop the ability to see beauty in things that can’t always be quantified. Art teaches you that not everything has to be proven or understood logically. But, this is not an excuse to stop thinkin glogically. It’s all about knowing when to think and when not to. Personal beliefs function in much the same way: they are not scientific equations but rather the colors and shapes that give meaning to your world, and we need both to lead a satisfied life.

What matters in life is not how others perceive our beliefs, but how they guide and comfort us in life.